Liar, Liar
by Sahara Niseli
Summary: After their big win at the GMG, Lucy decided to take a little break from all the daily stress in her life. With Makarov's approval she went away for a vacation only to return back with a ring on her finger, legally married.
1. You Sent Me Flying

Hey, guys! I'm here again with another story. The plot/idea came to me while I was halfway writing _Paradise Circus _but I decided to wait for a while before actually starting this one. I wanted to try something that's not dark and so this is the result although I should warn you that my characters would be somehow OOC.

I do hope that this story will be received well and that I will be inspired to finish this one successfully. So, again, I'll be in your care! And btw, if you guys have any suggestions or comments or if there's anything that you want me to add up in this story, please feel free to PM me so I can try and squeeze it in.

Also, English is my third language so I hope you'll go easy on me if I make any spelling and term mistakes, grammatical errors, and some others. AND, please let me know if I should go on with this story or not.

**DISCLAIMER: HIRO MASHIMA OWNS FAIRY TAIL**

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><p><strong>CHAPTER ONE<strong>

**YOU SENT ME FLYING**

**Balsam Village.**

Finally.

The whole ride from Magnolia to Balsam Village had been long and tiring for me. It has been a while since I last traveled alone so even if the whole trip had been kind of lonely for me, I have to say that it was refreshing. This time I did not have to deal with Erza and her large cart of useless things she calls her luggage. There was no Happy with his constant teasing and annoying side comments, no whining Natsu about how sick he feels from the motion and most of all, I did not have to deal with my emotions and hormones for the obnoxiously hot, drop-dead gorgeous, stripping Ice Make mage. Don't get me wrong, I love them to bits and pieces but right after the Grand Magic Games, I just needed to take a break from everyone- from the guild, from taking missions, from Team Natsu, from my rent, from all the fighting and most of all, from my own self.

Arriving at Balsam Village, just a few minutes past 3 o'clock in the afternoon, I headed straight to my hotel, on foot, taking in the not so familiar and familiar sights all around this so-called flashy spa village. The oriental architecture style never ceased to amaze me, having been here once, and the scenery had me all starry-eyed as I walked around the streets towards nowhere in particular, taking it easy. I was on vacation, after all, with so much time in my hands. The village gave off a unique but cozy vibe that it did not take me long enough before I finally felt myself relax. Earlier, I had planned to sleep until the next morning right after I arrive but I grew restless and overwhelmed when I breathed the significant air of this village.

After checking in, the hotel attendant along with the bellboy led me to my room with a perfect view of the place. The room was big enough for me, equipped with a small kitchen and a dining area, a large walk-in closet connected to the ocean-themed bathroom, a queen-sized bed that was as equally soft as my bed at my apartment back in Magnolia. I discarded my clothes and slipped on a light, summer dress that ended a few inches above my knees, strapped my belt and key holder around my waist along with my whip and headed out to a coffee shop that had caught my eye when I was on my way to the hotel.

When I entered the coffee shop, I was surprised to see that it had an open garden expanse with a man-made lake adorned with lotus flowers floating atop its glassy surface that reflected the orange and purple colored sky. I headed straight to the garden area after ordering a tall glass of Caramel Frappe with a dash of peppermint. It's only my first day yet things were starting to look so promising that I couldn't help but feel so eager about what the following days would bring. After my order arrived, I finally loosened up letting my eyes wander all over the garden but my thoughts drifted back to Magnolia.

I know that it was too early for me to miss the place but I could not help but think back at how this vacation was made possible. I was pretty bummed out and disappointed at myself after losing twice at the Grand Magic Games. First was Flare with her scary red hair and next was the Naval Battle with that witch, Minerva. They keep on telling me that my power as a Celestial Mage was a unique one and I am really glad to be a fortunate key-holder especially after knowing that my mom used to be one but no matter how special they say my power was, let's face it: I am truly helpless, always having to act as a bait, without my keys and even if I learned how to master Urano Metria, thanks to Hibiki, the spell just was not enough, not to mention that it drains up a big amount of my magical power. My friends had been really supportive during the whole ordeal so I tried my best to keep my head above the water so I won't drown in self-loathing and frustration. The GMG had been a really fun experience for me but I knew that I needed a break to clear my thoughts and catch up with my novel. I only hope that Levy has the patience to wait for me to finish.

It was only a few days after everyone was finally back at the guild in Magnolia. I was at the bar, watching Natsu and Gray fight while tipping down a glass of draft beer with Cana right beside me, hugging a whole barrel of booze all to herself. I can't remember what we were talking about but I think it had something to do about that guy named Bacchus. I knew that Cana likes the guy since after she lost to him in a drinking match and I was really happy for her, knowing how well she used to spend some promiscuous nights in bed with countless strangers. It was time for her to at least settle down and find herself a steady boyfriend who had the ability to match up with her drinking habits. She talked on and on after Macao finally called her over for a drinking match and so, I was left alone. Macao knew that he was going to lose anyway but there was nothing to do at the guild.

I remember watching Natsu and Gray's fight again. No. Cut the crap. I was only watching Gray, chuckling at how childish he was whenever Natsu was involved. Realizing that he was stripped off, with only his boxers left, I felt a small hot blush creep up my cheeks and I tell you, the beer was not helping. Not at all. I groaned in physical frustration and looked away to nowhere in particular. The duo's fight was soon cut off, a big thanks to Lisanna, who scolded them both with a threat, earning her a lost-puppy-saying-sorry look from the both of them and that's when I finally decided to watch them again. Levy came over to me and told me about how annoyed she was at Gajeel but soon, my attention was cut off by a certain Water mage who entered the guild, her eyes darting to and fro in search for her 'Gray-sama'. As soon as Juvia spotted him, she called out to him with her hand waving at his direction and I did not miss the look on Gray's face when he saw Juvia.

Instead of scrambling off to find a place to hide, Gray beamed widely at her and I was like, 'what the hell just happened?' My curiosity got me spinning out of control but I kept myself calm while half-listening to Levy's blabber. My suspicions heightened up a notch and I know that I was hitting off right at the mark. Something is going on between Juvia and Gray. I noticed that they grew close during the Grand Magic Games and that they ever grew closer now that things have finally settled down.

I like Gray. Fine. I really like him. A lot. When I first met him I thought that he was cool and all but soon enough, my admiration for the Ice mage started to grow until I finally found myself helplessly attracted to him especially after my battle with Gemini, who was at that time, working under Angel's orders. My ears rang in joy when I heard that he thought of me as 'rather cute'. Sure, at first, I was a bit weirded out by his flawless stripping habit but I admit that he looks rather good with his top off. I know that I was not just attracted to him physically but being with him during missions, I learned a lot about him to like him enough. My feelings for him were rather unrequited but there was clearly nothing wrong with it so it was fine for me to just let my feelings for him develop on the sidelines.

Gray's got a big heart, a kind smile and he was not dense like Natsu. He was brave and on some occasions, his sweet side would shine through. When Juvia came along and joined Fairy Tail, I was really bothered at seeing how obsessed she was with him but after seeing him flee away from her love-wrath, I began to think of it as nothing since I realized that Juvia was no different from me and my predicament except that she was being vocal about her feelings for him. I have to give it to the girl for being bold and confident even if Gray had, like, refused her for more than I can count. But that's not clearly the case now, is it? Juvia is now a threat and it's just like what she keeps on saying: I really am her love rival and there was no doubt about it.

"Lu-chan?" Levy said, noticing my split-attention. "Are you listening?"

I glanced at her with a bashful smile, trying hard not to look guilty. "Yeah. Go on."

"So, as I was saying, Lily told me that Gajeel once…"

I just could not concentrate anymore. By now, Gray and Juvia were talking as if it was the most natural thing for them to do and I was not going to be a bitch to get in between them just to drag Gray away from her. I mean, who am I to do such a thing? Sure, he's my friend and I'm his but there were boundaries between us that I just could not dare cross, given our current standing as team mates but hearing Juvia's giggle over something that he said sent a vein throbbing right on my temples.

Okay. I'm lying when I said that there is a line that we are not supposed to cross. No. I really don't know but, something happened a long time ago and that 'something' led to another thing. Gray may have possibly forgotten about it but in my case it's still here, treasured deep inside my memory. On his side, what we did was nothing but just some sort of mistake, a one-time thing, that should never happen again while I think otherwise. I'm not going to mind if it happens again, don't get me wrong though, I'm not some sort of a slut who loves to play around but it's just that with Gray, I can't say no to him. If he would tell me to jump in a deep well, I would, just as he had risked his life for me a couple of times. Then, I realized, that love is such a sly thing. It makes us do the impossible, makes us think how everything in this world seems so absurd and unbecoming. Love really is cruel, isn't it? With these thoughts in mind, I excused myself from Levy for a moment to order another round of beer.

"Are you okay, Lucy?" Mira asked me.

I almost cringed at how perceptive she saw when it comes to emotions. Playing it cool, I flashed her my usual bright smile and nodded.

"Yeah. I just want to slack away today. I don't have anything to do tomorrow anyways."

Mira raised an eyebrow as she handed me a glass of beer. "Is that so? Aren't you going to take on a mission with Natsu? There's a lot of new requests posted at the board right now."

"No," I shook my head. "He said that we're going to take a break for a while and Erza agreed."

"All right, then. Just don't drink to much, okay?"

"Sure, Mira. Thanks!" I raised my glass to her before downing three big gulps and that's when it hit me. I should take a break as well. Erza left yesterday without telling us where she was heading to but some of us knew that she was off to see Jellal. My thoughts of taking a break was just probably out of whim but I had managed to decide right away. With that goal in mind, I left the beer on the counter table and skipped my way to the second floor of the guild where I know master will be. I knocked on the door of his office and I heard his gruffly voice, telling me to come in.

I opened the door, gently closing it behind me. Master was sitting on a chair, signing some papers on his desk with constant sighs. Everyone knew how he hated doing paperworks. He looked up and smiled at me.

"Ah, Lucy. What brings you here?"

I took a couple of steps forward and sat on the empty chair, facing him. Fidgeting for a moment, I took a deep breath.

"I… Uh, I want to take a break for a while," I told him. "Just a short vacation. I won't be gone for a long time."

"Well, I don't see any problems with that."

"Great! Thanks, master. I'm going to leave tomorrow."

"Okay. Be sure to have fun and relax. I'm sure you're all stressed out from everything. Don't hesitate to contact us if the need arises."

I stood up from my chair and bowed in gratitude before leaving his office. I went back to the bar, deciding not to tell anyone but Mira. I approached her and paid my bill.

"You heading out now, Lucy?"

"Yeah. And oh, I'm going to leave Magnolia for a while."

Mira frowned. "Why? Is there something wrong? Where are you going?"

I chuckled at her worried reaction. "Nothing happened, Mira. I'm just going away for a bit for a short vacation. I'll be back before you know it."

With that, I left the guild without looking back, without saying goodbye to my friends and my team mates. I walked over to my apartment, calling out Plue to walk the way with me as we skipped down the bridge, thinking about the countless places were I could possibly go for vacation. Hargeon is nice but a little too boring for me so I scratched it out. Galuna Island? No way. I mean the place was nice but it was a bit too eerie to my liking, especially after that big and crazy fight with that beast, Deliora. The Akane Beach Resort also came to mind but I really wanted to go to a place were time just passes by idly until I remembered one perfect place: Hosenka Town a.k.a Balsam Spa Village.

When I arrived at my apartment, I quickly packed up my things, cleaned the house and slept the hours away after a soothing hot bath. I was glad that Natsu didn't break in through my window that night since I wasn't really in the mood for any of his shenanigans and if he would learn about my trip, for sure, he'll persuade me to bring him along and that would ruin my plans.

I sighed, dismissing my trip down the memory lane when I saw that the sky had already turned dark. I took out a a book from my bag, the one I happen to pick up in random when I was packing up and opened it, reading the first chapter deeply, taking the words into heart before breathing out in contentment, a habit that I picked up from Levy whenever we would go out to read together at our favorite coffee shop back in Magnolia whenever we were both taking a break from going out with our team for missions. I stopped after a couple of pages and looked my at my new surroundings, I observed a big frog as it leaped into the pond with a loud splash that triggered a 'zen' moment, sparking a light bulb inside my brain. That's it! Maybe this time I can do something different while I'm away, something that's 'un-Lucy' like. Maybe I could turn this lonely trip into an adventure of some sort, a self-discovery, and when I get back at the guild, I'd be a 'new' person or something.

I finished a few more pages and left a few jewels for my frappe before leaving the coffee shop, making a mental note to come back here again. I was getting hungry so I looked out for a good place to eat. Finding a Japanese Sushi Bar a few blocks away from the coffee shop, I decided to order something light to go along with a hot bottle of sake. I could get pissed drunk tonight and no one would care. After dinner with my belly all hot and full from the sake, I headed to a nearby bar and ordered liquor.

Goodbye, Princess Lucy.

Goodbye, damsel in distress.

Goodbye, kind and caring and valiant me.

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><p><strong>Clover Town.<strong>

A nightmare woke me up from my deep slumber. I groaned in annoyance as my head started to throb with a steady, pounding pace. Lifting my head up, I looked at the clock on the bedside table and saw that it was only a little after midnight. Sighing to myself, I looked down below me and saw a naked figure snuggling close to my shirtless chest. Of course, there was no need to panic since I can still clearly recall what had happened earlier. Displeasure coursed through me.

'Who is this bitch again?' I thought to myself, recalling her name. I was at a bar earlier, out for a hunt, where I picked up this chick.

Sure, she was hot with a nice rack and a peachy bum but just like all the other girls that I had been with in bed, the pleasure never really lasts. So much for my sexcapades, huh? After drinking, we ended up in this hotel room and had sex a couple of times before this chick passed out from exhaustion. Smirking to myself, I know that my body was built for pleasure but truth be told, I still feel embittered. Until now, I still have not met someone who could par up with me in bed and give me the level of carnal pleasure that I had long been dreaming of. I perfectly know that this stranger would be having a hard time walking by the next morning when she wakes up, recalling how rough I had been with her but she was too drunk to notice.

When my grandfather expelled me out of the guild, I had been alone most of the time and my solitary journey over here and there made me turn around that I had a change of heart. It was not that bad, actually. I thought a lot about what happened, what I did wrong, having hurt my family because of my own foolishness until finally, I began to change little by little. I was glad when I was picked out as one of the participants at the Grand Magic Games, knowing full well that I was home again but old habits die hard. We all have our own little secrets, we all have our own weaknesses and bad attitudes and I happen to like my vices and I won't ever let them go. Not yet.

No longer wanting to stay in this room with a passed out stranger, I broke off from her embrace as she stirred at the sudden movement. I waited for a little while before she finally snuggled on a pillow beside her, drifting off to sleep once again. I went to the bathroom and took hot shower, got dressed and left the hotel. After a night like this, I know that I have to leave once again. Moving from once place to another was nothing for someone like me since I'm pretty much used to it.

I arrived at my hotel, took a can of beer from the mini bar and relax on the bed, thinking where to go next. After going over at the map inside my head, I finished the beer and toyed with the empty can. I looked at the information at the back of the can and saw a name of a place.

Hosenka Town.

Perfect.

With that, I closed my eyes, hoping for a dreamless sleep this time.

**TBC**

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><p>So, what do you guys think so far?<p>

Is it any good?

If so, please let me know so I can decide if I should continue this story or not.

Please don't forget to R&R!

Thank you and see you on the next chapter!


	2. A Chance Encounter

Oh lala! So far so good! Thank you guys for reading and reviewing but I'm kind of torn:

Lucy and Laxus? Lucy and Gray? OR Gray and Laxus?

So, what's it going to be? Lucy's fate is in your hands! Tell me what you guys think. LOL

Haha, kidding! I know who but for now: zziiip!

P.S.: Credits to the naughty person *wink* who suggested the third pairing.

OOC characters.

**DISCLAIMER: HIRO MASHIMA OWNS FAIRY TAIL**

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><p><strong>CHAPTER TWO<strong>

**A CHANCE ENCOUNTER**

"Where's Lucy?" Natsu said to nowhere in particular as he continued having breakfast with Happy sitting on the table in front of him, happily munching his second fish for the day. Usually, by this time, Lucy would be at the guild hall having breakfast with them but for some reasons, she did not arrive and he was almost done eating. It was like a routine for the both of them. He'll arrive at the guild first, eat his breakfast and she would arrive a few minutes after, bright like the sun, before his food is gone.

'Maybe she got caught up with something or maybe she overslept?' He thought with a frown.

Mira, being the only person near him, heard Natsu and knitted her brows in confusion.

"Eh? You don't know?" Mira asked him.

"Know what?"

"Lucy left Magnolia yesterday. She said she's going away for a vacation or something."

"What?" Natsu's slammed his palms on the table, standing up. The noise made several heads turn in his direction. Damn, it was early and the morning and he had to be such a loud-mouth.

Mira sighed, refilling his glass with water.

"I just told you, didn't I?"

"But why didn't she tell us?! We're supposed to be partners and partners stick together right, Happy?"

"Aye!" Happy answered, raising his paw up in the air.

"Maybe she wanted to go alone and have a time for herself. Don't worry, she'll be back before you know it." Mira said, shrugging her shoulders with a smile, trying so bad not to tease him since her match-making radar was starting to kick in and Natsu looked just like a good victim but then Lucy wasn't here. Maybe some other time perhaps.

"But… But being alone is lonely!" Natsu whined.

The wooden door of the guild opened and a certain Ice Make mage went in, walking directly to where he was. Gray noticed Natsu's pouting.

"Where's the fire, Fire Freak?" Gray asked, smirking, and ordered a breakfast set from Mira who skipped towards the kitchen to prepare his meal.

"Lucy left," Happy explained. "She's so mean."

"Left?" Gray sat beside Natsu, who by now had his forehead against the table.

"Mira said she went away but she also said that Lucy will be back soon."

Suddenly, Natsu jumped on his seat and faced Happy with a new goal in mind, his fists wrapped in flames.

"That's it! Maybe we could catch up and surprise Lucy!"

"No!" A voice from behind them boomed. The three turned their heads and saw the master walking down the stairs towards them.

"Just sit tight here, brats."

"But Gramps!"

"Shut up! I don't want you ruining Lucy's vacation. Go take a mission or something, you good for nothing idiots!" The old man said and made his way out, his white coat flapping behind him.

"Tch." Gray scrunched up his face in irritation. It's not everyday that Natsu can actually think of something good but then the old man had to ruin it.

After a little while, Mira arrived with Gray's tray and went off again to cater the other guild members who started to arrive in time for their breakfast. Eating silently, Gray thought over as to why Lucy left without telling them. It's not like he was against her taking a vacation but to not inform them? Why keep it only to herself? What if something happens to her? What if she gets hurt or someone would kidnap her or something even worse? Where will they find her? Where did she go exactly? He still saw her yesterday, sitting in the bar, drinking and talking to Levy. He did not want to admit it but he was sure that he saw Lucy looking at him yesterday with a small smile on her face while he was in a wrestling match with Natsu over something that he could not remember. Why was she looking at him anyways? It's not that he found it creepy but it kind of 'fired him up', as Natsu would always say, when he caught her silently looking at him from the distance with her adorable brown eyes. Maybe Happy was right when he said that Lucy is weird. Sometimes.

Of course, if Natsu would ask him to come with him and find Lucy, he will, but then Gramps had to be such a killjoy and ban them from going after her. Maybe taking a mission alone or with Juvia could lessen the waiting time. For some reasons, taking missions with the Water Mage was actually kind of good, magic-wise that is. True enough, their elements were compatible, remembering how well it worked during the first time that they did a Unison Raid together, and finishing a job became a fast and an easy task but she had to be all creepy and obsessed with him. Thinking about her, he felt goose bumps all over his skin, making him shiver in a slight disgust. Ignoring Natsu beside him, he silently finished his meal and went to the request board.

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><p>A dream?<p>

Or was it a memory?

Lucy thought to herself as she opened her eyes, slightly squinting at the blinding light that greeted her. She let her eyelids drop once again, feeling her eyes tear up a bit from the pain. Lucy searched for a pillow with eyes still closed and having found one she pulled it directly above to cover her face, blocking the morning sunlight as the darkness closed in. She tried to go back to sleep but she was too awake to do so and she suddenly regretted the fact that she had forgotten to the close the curtains right before she crashed on the bed last night but she knew that it was impossible.

She was pissed drunk last night but somehow she can still remember most of what happened, although not everything. She sighed against the pillow, trying to remember what she was dreaming about as the other half of her brain thanked the gods for not blessing her with a bad hangover.

Waking up with a pounding head can really be a troublesome pain in the ass. She knew by experience because it happens a lot not just to her but also to her fellow guild mates after a night of endless brawls and parties. Even one soft, teeny-bitty noise would seem like a dragon roared right through your ears and one slight movement of the muscles could purge out all the acidic and non-acidic contents in the stomach. She cringed at the thought of puking and shook it off out of her brain. She was just really glad that her head was not throbbing wildly at the moment.

Oh, where was she again?

Yeah.

She was thinking about her dream because it woke her up.

No.

She can remember it now- it was a memory but at the same time it was fused with snippets of dreamlike scenes.

Lucy remembers it then, it was a long time ago. She remembers flying out of the large room at the Hosenka Inn where her team mates decided to stay for the night, as she had suggested, after a successful mission. She just got out of bath with Erza but Natsu had to ruin her relaxing evening it when he decided to have a pillow fight. She smiled at the memory since it was where she got a little bit closer to Loke, since it was where she had started to uncover the reason why he was keeping his distance away from her.

To say that she was not offended at how he would avoid her like she was some kind of a leper was a total bullshit, especially recalling how she had written his name next to Jellal's profile on her list of possible boyfriend candidates and even if she had crossed it out after seeing his man-whorish-slash-flirtatious side, still, she was a bit hurt. He did not have to scurry away from her like how he did but in the end- all that's well ends well, or so they say, and somehow it did.

She remembers risking her life for him (as he also did for her), she remembers finding out that he was a 'fallen star who could never return back to the heavens' and most of all, after discovering that he was the gallant leader of the Zodiacs- Leo the Lion. Then, remembering something else, she almost laughed when the memory of her walking out on him, terribly pissed at the fact that he had managed to trick her with his flirty pick-up line while hugging her and then laughing at her reaction, only to later on realize that his pick-up line had actually a ring of truth in it.

Sitting up, Lucy took out Loke's key from under her head pillow and opened his gate. With a burst of a sparkling golden light, he appeared beside her dressed in his casual clothes.

"Good morning, my Love." He said huskily with a wink.

"Cut it out," She told him but smiled nonetheless.

"Is there anything I can do for you?" He asked. "Or maybe, do you want to take a shower with me?"

Lucy stood up and hit him playfully in the arm, shaking her head to decline his outrageous offer.

"No," Lucy started. "I was just thinking, maybe you want to join me later?"

Loke raised an eyebrow then wiggled it suggestively. "I'd join you anywhere, anytime, my Princess, as long as you moan out my name."

Lucy groaned. She had to be careful with her words around him. "For dinner, you idiot and don't get any ideas in that dirty mind of yours. Remember the Super Express Restaurant?"

Loke thought for a moment then nodded, wincing slightly at the memory when Lucy slapped his cheek. "Are you asking me out on a date?"

"Maybe. Whatever. So, are you in or what?"

Loke smirked and suddenly took her hand, kissing it. "Of course, anything for my beloved Princess."

This time, Lucy flashed him a smile. "All right then. I'll see you later."

Before he could injure her ears with his flirty lines again, Lucy forced closed his gate and sank back on the bed, bouncing softly against the fluffy mattress. Glancing at the wall clock, she noticed that she woke up a little to late for breakfast and a tad too early for lunch. She wasn't feeling hungry particularly but she knew that she had to eat since she had been drinking the night before and her body needs to replenish what it lost. Before taking a shower, she drank a glass of water to ease out the dryness in her throat as she planned to hit out the onsen later in the afternoon, thinking of inviting Virgo or Aries along with her.

Deciding to go along with the town's classic oriental ambience, Lucy decided to deck herself with a yukata. With lotus flowers as patters, the silk robe was teal in color and it made her blond hair, that was done up in a princess bun, stand out and shine in contrast to her milky skin. After what seemed like forever, she swirled around the mirror to check herself out and to see if she looked okay. Finally satisfied with how she looked, she headed out and enjoyed the day as a tourist.

By dusk, Lucy was still bursting with energy, exhilarated from her excursion all around the town. The people were nice, both locals and tourists alike, and they even smiled widely at her in greeting whenever they see or catch a glimpse of the pink, familiar guild mark at the back of her hand. It warmed her heart knowing that she was a member of Fairy Tail, Fiore's strongest guild. The guild was her last remaining family, a loving and protective family, albeit crazy and wild and destructive most of the time. She had been with them through thick and thin, through sorrow and joy and all the challenges that they had faced as a group only made them stronger but will it really stay that way forever?

Things change and nothing lasts. People change and time runs fast. Lucy tried to distract herself by looking at the stars above her as she leaned against the edge of the onsen, feeling the hard stone on her back, when she sensed that her thoughts were turning in the wrong direction. She was here to enjoy and relax herself and thinking about depressing things certainly was the wrong thing to do but this was not the first time that it happened.

For quite a while now, it had been like that. She would find herself thinking back, reminiscing about the happy things that had happened to her, remembering the blissful and joyful times that she had spent with her family at Fairy Tail, with her mother, her childhood when her father was still good to her and even her brief time with Michelle but then, all of a sudden, her thoughts would instantly turn dark and sour without warning and she did not even know what could have possibly triggered it.

Sometimes she would dream about it too. She would dream about being with her team, enjoying their time together laughing and talking after a tiring mission then, instantaneously, they would be transported in a different place and she would see them cold and bleeding on the ground right before her eyes. Lucy would wake up screaming with her sheets damp from the cold sweat after that and these disturbing dreams made her realize that time is fleeting, that there is no such thing as a perfect life and that anything bad can happen without warning. Exhaling out a heavy breath, she stood up and left the onsen, hoping that her dinner later with Loke would lift her spirits up again.

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><p>Living this kind of life was beginning to turn boring but Laxus knew that it was what keeps him going no matter how pointless it was. He was living a life with no direction, a life on repeat with no sense and no purpose, no goal and no motivation. Yet, at the same time, he just could not stop and give it up. There was nothing else for him to do.<p>

Occasionally he would go back home in Magnolia, take an S-Class mission alone or sometimes with his team, The Thunder God Tribe, and then he would find himself leaving again on his own, going to one place after another. It was like a pilgrimage for him, a solitary journey but in the end, instead of feeling that sense of fulfilment, he would end up feeling empty, feeling nothing. He would feel as if he was just a dry and hollow shell, being washed here and there by the tide called life.

He walked the streets of Balsam Spa Village with powerful strides, his face serious in contemplation. He arrived a couple of hours ago but he ended up resting in his room after suffering from his motion sickness during the whole ride by train. He started to wonder what the Raijinshuu could be doing now. He thought of Freed who was now openly dating Mira. He thought of Evergreen and Elfman with their love/hate relationship. He thought of Bixlow and Lisanna.

'Damn.' He muttered under his breath.

His team took the whole of the Strauss' siblings and he was what? He was still alone, a fucking bachelor. Sure, he could have whomever he wanted to but only in bed, only the body but never the heart. Then, a certain Card Magic user mage came into mind. She had been his first girlfriend, his first kiss, his first fuck, but she was not his first love. He was 16 that time and like any other 'healthy' teenager and a dragon slayer at that, denying his instincts was a hard thing to do especially since he was new to the whole thing and had still no control over his physical urges. His grandfather had been aware of what he was doing but Laxus was stubborn and rebellious and the only thing that the old man had been able to inject inside his head was to never get a girl pregnant if he 'felt' nothing for the girl.

At first he had been confused but he was not stupid. He was still young and how could he possibly raise a child on his own? Cana was a drunkard and he knew that what they have would never last. What they had was purely physical, a relationship that was only fuelled by lust. They barely even talk to each other whenever they were inside the guild, they would barely acknowledge each other's presence. After a few months, they both grew tired and just drifted apart as if nothing happened at all. Cana went on drinking day after day, substituting water with alcohol and Laxus was, well, he went off chasing other girl's skirts, tasting other 'flavors' so to speak. Thinking it over, he knew that Loke was better than him. At least the guy was not some kind of a man-whore like he was.

'Tch.' He felt like a pussy, a wuss, thinking about love. He wanted to vomit from the thought. He did not want to be bothered by such a troublesome and stupid thing like that but seeing all the lovers frolicking along the street made him feel so bitter and Laxus Dreyar did not like it, not one bit. Sure, he loves Fairy Tail but that was all- a familial kind of love. It was like a strange concept to him, a foreign word and even if, one day, it would hit him hard in the face, he knew that he would not even recognize it. Knowing how big his pride was, he did not want to accept and admit it, not even to himself.

It was dark now. He was downright hungry and he needed a drink, a strong one. Remembering where the restaurant was located, he made his way there as he tried to ignore the smell of hormones and testosterones hovering all over the air. He almost cursed himself for being a dragon slayer. Picking up his pace, he walked quickly until he finally spotted the infamous golden head of the gigantic dragon adorning the restaurant's entrance under that signage that says: Super Express Restaurant. Eager to fill his appetite with the Nodding Chef's specialty, he went inside only to be greeted by a sound of laughter and a shock of orange and blond hair. He froze for a moment, trying to quickly contemplate whether or not to leave the place, but a pair of chocolate eyes met his.

"Laxus?"

He groaned. It was too late now.

"Yo."

* * *

><p>It was awkward.<p>

It was so fucking awkward.

Laxus knew that he had interrupted something but the pair showed no signs of him doing so but instead they invited him over to join them and he was a little bit tongue-tied to decline their offer. No. Her offer. He awkwardly made his way towards their table and sat beside Loke as the Nodding Chef came over to take his order. He never thought that he would see them here, especially the blonde Celestial Mage. Maybe she was with her team mates but seeing that Natsu was absent, he thought again, realizing that he couldn't smell the Fire Dragon Slayer all over her. He had never seen the girl without the pink-haired idiot and vice versa and had concluded that the two were dating but what's this right now? Was she cheating on Natsu? Why was Loke here with her?

And how could she just invite him over like that? Like they were good friends or something? He could not recall a time where he even talked to her and yet here she was, smiling at him casually. He had heard stories about how kind-hearted she was, that a single smile from her was like the sun itself. Back at the guild, she was always cheerful, always ready to fight for her friends; always ready to defend and protect them then he suddenly remembered the time at the GMG where he fought his father and the whole team of Ravel Tail. He did not know what occurred to him that time, but he remembered fighting for her name and sake when that Flare bitch attacked him, especially after seeing how she beat up Lucy. The memory made him feel funny, funny in a way that he did not know how to describe it. It made him uneasy.

"Laxus? Are you all right?" A soft voice broke him out from his reverie.

"Uh. Yeah." Dammit. 'What the hell is this?' He said, and then thought to himself.

"Anyways, I was asking you why are you here and where's the Raijinshuu?"

"Why? Am I not allowed here?" He growled, irritated at his own self.

"I was just asking you, jeez." Lucy said defensively.

Laxus did not know that his words came out wrong. He cursed himself silently, wondering what the hell was wrong with him.

"So?" She asked again.

This time, Laxus noticed her eyes. It was the first time that they were close together, face to face, and her eyes, he hated to admit it, were beautiful, almost to the point of enchanting. Before he could think anymore, he stopped himself and focused his gaze at the wall behind her. Beside him, Loke poured their empty cups with sake.

"I just finished a mission so I came here to relax," he lied. "What about you two?"

Lucy smiled at him and having sensed it, he felt his gaze go back to her. It was like gravity, like a magnet and he did not even want to think about it anymore, knowing that he could not possibly explain it.

"Oh," she giggled for a bit. "Nothing. I'm on vacation right now and Loke here just joined me for dinner."

"I wouldn't leave such a beautiful lady to her own now, would I?" Loke said. "There are perverts everywhere. Especially at night."

Laxus could not help but react to what he just said. "Yeah, you're right. There are perverts everywhere and one of them happens to be right beside me."

Loke glared at him and put on a wounded look, bringing his hand right up his chest. Just then, Laxus felt a tingling sensation in his hears when he heard Lucy laugh. He felt his body heat up.

'Just what in the devil's name was that?' He thought to himself. It was so absurd, it was just a laugh but how come? He started to feel so giddy in a freaky way as he looked at the girl across him, holding a hand to cover her mouth as she laughed with her eyes gleaming in mirth.

Just then, a loud pop filled the room as a figure beside them appeared.

"Virgo? What are you doing here?"

The spirit in the maid outfit bowed to them.

"Good evening, Princess. Good evening, brother and you too, Laxus-sama," Virgo said. "I'm sorry to interrupt your dinner but I need to borrow big brother here. The Spirit King demands his presence at the moment."

Loke groaned and gave Lucy an apologetic look. He stood up with a sigh.

"Well, there goes my night," he said. "I'm sorry, my Princess, but it looks like I have to go now. I'll make it up to you some other time."

Lucy frowned but nodded her head. "It's all right, Loke. I had a great time. Thanks!"

Loke turned to Laxus. "Well, I better go. Please take care of Lucy in my stead."

"Wha-" Before Laxus could even finish his words, the two celestial spirits disappeared with a pop and a flash of light. Laxus and Lucy stared at each other, unsure of what to say.

"I-" they chorused.

"You first." Strike two.

By now, Lucy had a faint blush on her cheeks. She bit her lip as Laxus ran his fingers through his blond, spiky hair.

"Damn."

Lucy giggled and he did not even realize that he said it out loud.

"Soooo..." She said, looking unsure but she was smiling and seeing her like that made him smile as well. Before he knew it, he said the words that he would regret later on. Probably.

"How about we drink somewhere else?"

**TBC**

* * *

><p>Sooo... What do you guys think?<p>

Let me know, please. (R&R)

Suggestions and comments are welcomed!

Thanks a lot for those who read, reviewed and for those who hit the follow and favorite buttons.

'Til then! :)


	3. A Deal With The Devil

OhMG! I am so happy to get such lively reviews from you guys! It makes me glad knowing that I was actually able to come up with something that is worth reading!

Thanks a lot! You guys make me happy!

And oh, if you have any requests or suggestions of any kind, don't hesitate to send me a message!

**DISCLAIMER: HIRO MASHIMA OWNS FAIRY TAIL**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER THREE<strong>

**A DEAL WITH THE DEVIL**

Almost.

That one simple word rang from her ears and went straight to the intricate maze of her brain, over and over again.

Almost.

Like a chant, a song, and a plea; Like a broken lacrima record on repeat.

Almost.

The word was like a siren's spell, enticing her to insanity and making her eyelids flutter with each and every syllable, as if she was drugged. As if he had drugged her and the feeling was more than indescribable.

Almost.

She almost did 'it' with him.

She almost did it with Laxus _fucking _Dreyar.

She should be punished for almost doing it with a god for she was only a mere mortal, with nothing to be proud of.

Lucy touched her still tingly lower lip, gently rubbing the sensitive swell where the god had ravaged hard earlier. She was still feeling queasy, uncomfortable at the slight aching on her core. One touch. That was all it took. One touch from him and her body shuddered like never before. No wonder he was a Lightning Dragon Slayer. He certainly lives up to his name.

And to think that she was going to see him again tomorrow, to think that she was going to see his electric blue eyes like the ocean and green like the grass, a perfect mix that made her heart beat for some odd reasons. She could not back out nor make an excuse and run away. She made a promise to him, how could she be stupid? She made a careless commitment to him and a Celestial Mage never breaks her words. An agreement must be done, a promise must be kept. It was like having a contract with a dangerous key. It was inevitable, almost like a curse, an irreversible spell, a sickness with no cure and to make things worse, he was even staying in the same hotel with her, in the same floor, just across her own freaking room and it was all Loke's fault for ditching her and choosing the Spirit King instead.

That damned robot-like, Mustache Man.

A familiar scene made its way to her head, replacing the current on-going rampage of the word 'almost'. Lucy was kind of new at the guild that time, still trying to learn the ropes and was only getting to know everyone at the guild, when he appeared and made everyone suffer because of his thirst for power. He was arrogant, lecherous, wicked… and as much as she hates to admit it, he was hot, almost like a god.

Because of him she was turned into a stone by Evergreen.

Then he had to take her as a hostage.

He called her 'big-boobed'.

Then… he demanded such an appalling price in exchange of his help.

He had to be his girlfriend.

Oh, Mavis.

Oh, Zeref.

Oh, Mustache Man.

Why oh why?!

Groaning. Tossing and turning. Restless. Closing her eyes, only to open them again. She was at her wit's end by now, unable to fall asleep no matter how tired she was. She had been quite inebriated earlier but when she hit the sack, the memories of what happened earlier instantly warmed her body and sobered her up. Did she just make a deal with the devil? The question made her quiver.

"Oh, crap!" She said angrily, sitting up from the bed and kicking the sheets away from her.

"I'm so stupid. Stupid. Stupid, Lucy!" She chastised, hitting her head as a form of penance at the turn of events and oh boy, she did not see this coming! Not at all. Lucy almost shrieked when a flash of light blinded her eyes for a moment.

A blue beauty appeared and looked at her with disgust.

"Tch."

Lucy covered in fear. Ho and behold, it was a grumpy Aquarius with huge veins visible on her temples, ready to pop out.

"He-hello. Ehehehe." Lucy stuttered, surprised that the spirit appeared on her own.

"Hello yourself, you pathetic, sad excuse for a woman!" The mermaid said, looking angry.

"What are you doing here?"

"Huh?! You dare question me? You lowly life!"

"Sorry." Lucy looked down not wanting to further provoke her and thought of force closing her gate.

"You and your sissy thoughts! You're annoying!"

"Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! I know. You can go home now! Thank you very much!"

Aquarius raised her Water-Bearing Jug, a gesture that Lucy knew too well, having suffered under its wrath. She raised her hands in surrender, not wanting to get washed away.

"This is why you don't have a boyfriend yet," the mermaid had to rub it in her face. "How mortifying! I'm so ashamed of you!"

"What do you want me to do then?" Lucy asked her.

"Figure it out on your own, you pussy, and stop your stupid mewling. It's irritating," the mermaid said, her hands on her hips. "Listen, girly. I'm only going to say this once. I'm not going to tell you what to do because I want you to suffer but a chance like this doesn't come too often. Make sure you don't fuck it up or I will wash you away to a place where you can never return."

With that, the mermaid disappeared with a loud pop. Lucy groaned in the silence, thinking what the hell was that about and what did Aquarius meant with those words. She loves her spirits but sometimes they were just too much, meddling with her life. Why did she even appear in the first place? Was the mermaid actually worried about her? She was getting worried about how her vacation was turning out and sighed, trying to compose herself once again. Lying back on the bed, Lucy hugged a pillow close to her. She needed to sleep; she needed to take a rest. Tomorrow is going to be one long day.

* * *

><p>On the opposite side of the room, things were no better. The Lightning Dragon Slayer was having a hard time falling asleep as well, something that he had never experienced before. He was having a bad case of insomnia and no amount of whiskey could soothe his seething emotions. For the millionth time, he asked himself again, just what the fuck was going on?!<p>

He hated complicated things and this… his encounter with her had been nothing but so frustratingly hard to figure out and he had to add fuel to the fire but asking her out for a drink… then asking her again for something else. The girl never should have agreed to him in the first place. He was only kidding, well, partly.

After having dinner at the Super Express Restaurant, they split the bill and headed out in silence to a bar where he usually went to whenever he was here at Hosenka Town with Lucy trailing behind him. He decided to walk fast, hoping that the girl can keep up with his pace, because her smell was profusely distracting him although in a good way. The bar was almost full with tourists like them but manager, recognizing Laxus from his previous visits, ushered them to a table on the corner and gave them two shots of vodka on the house especially after seeing that his companion for the night was also a Fairy Tail mage. Laxus was surprised when he found out that the blond could actually hold her liquor quite well. She wasn't like Cana who drowned down alcohol like a thirsty crow but instead, Lucy carried herself gracefully as if she was dancing and the damned Celestial Mage had to be a head-turner just by being herself.

Laxus did not miss the hungry and lustful stares of the male population as soon as they stepped inside the bar and his dragon instincts had to take control over him, making him send out looks that could kill to anyone who dared lay their eyes on the girl. Can't they see that she was with him?

Fucking weaklings.

For once, he felt actually quite proud that he was with her. The girl was an asset, a diamond in the rough, and any man would want to keep and chain her up in a dungeon forever. He was amazed at how Lucy was able to talk to him easily. They chatted for a while about the guild and about their victorious win at The Grand Magic Games.

"Oh, I almost forgot," she said to him. "Thank you."

He raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms in front of him. "For what?"

Lucy smiled shyly at him, twirling an empty shot glass on the table. "For, uh, for avenging me at that time during the tournament."

"Oh." He flashed her a smile. Laxus knew what she was talking about. How could he forget? He remembers it clearly. "Don't mention it, Blondie and besides, I was doing it for the guild."

"I know but really, Laxus. Thank you."

Damn. There goes that smile on her face again. He was not used to this. He had his fair share of women, gorgeous women at that, but somehow the girl in front of him had this some kind of ability to faze him with only a single smile.

"You sure had a rough time back then, Blondie. You were very brave and you fought well."

Lucy frowned sadly at him. "I know but it wasn't enough, was it? I wasn't strong enough to win."

Laxus was taken a back. Was she bipolar? At first she was smiling and now she looked so sad. "Don't think too much about it. I'm sure everyone knows that you did your best."

"You're right… I guess."

They drank some more after that and he began to notice a tinge of pink kissing her adorable cheeks. They continued to drink in a comfortable silence, sometimes talking and commenting over little things around them, along with the music that filtered out from the sound lacrima. This was a first for him, drinking and talking casually with someone of the opposite sex. Could this be…?

No.

This is not a date.

No way in hell.

Oh great, now he's acting like a girl. Gah, whatever. He did not care anymore. He was man and he was going to act like one.

"So, Sparky," she said. "How long are you going to stay here?"

He looked at her in surprise. "Really, Blondie? Sparky? You amuse me."

She pouted. "But you keep on calling me Blondie even if you know my name and I did not complain! Now, answer my question." She slurred a bit.

Laxus could she was already quit tipsy. This was getting good. "Or what?" He smirked at her in challenge.

"Or… or. Uhm. Or I'm going to zap you with lightning, Sparky!"

Laxus laughed. Now, this was another first for him. "Nice try, Blondie. Well, I don't really know since I just got here."

"Oh. You're not going back to Magnolia yet?"

"Damn, Blondie. You just don't stop, don't you?"

Lucy grinned at him, shaking her head as her blond locks glimmered against the lights and he swore, Laxus Dreyar swore that she looked so alluring in an innocent way. Ahem.

"Well, how about this, Blondie," he said, emphasizing his pet name for her. "Since you're on vacation and since I have nothing else to do, how about you come with me to Akane? "

He bit his tongue when the words slipped out from his mouth. The girl looked at him in shock and for a brief moment he was actually afraid that she might not take up his offer but then, her suddenly eyes sparkled as she perked up, sitting straight and started to nod her head with a large smile plastered all over her face.

"Count me in! Count me in!"

Damn right, he'll count her in! Laxus grinned at her, satisfied with her answer. Truth be told he had planned to stay here in Balsam for a couple of days but then he figured that he'll be seeing much of her anyways and it was all because of that stupid can of beer. The night was ending quite well for him but at that moment, he could see that a few more drinks would send the girl straight to lalaland and he was also starting feeling the alcohol's effects set in.

Whenever Lucy was not looking at him, he would steal glances at her direction and observe her. He felt his eyes fall on her chest, seeing that she was well endowed; he wondered how they would feel like against his palms. The way how she would purse her glossy pulp lips made him wonder how she would taste like and he almost wanted to just kiss her then and there to see for himself. Tonight was his first time seeing her wear something that was not revealing as compared to how she would often dress up at the guild and it made him realize that she still looked as hot ever. She had the body of a woman with the right curves in the right places. Laxus wondered if she was still a virgin but even if she wasn't he still wanted to take her for a test drive.

Calling it a night, he offered to take her back to her hotel and it turned out that he had checked-in at the same place where she was currently staying in. Lucy had managed to walk straight but sometimes she would stumble here and there, having difficulty with her wooden sandals that clanged against the cobble steps, and he had to help her as she giggled at her 'clumsiness'. Whenever he touched her, the closeness would drive him insane and he felt his pants tighten when his nose would whiff out something different about her, a smell that he was all too familiar with. The Celestial babe beside him was clearly and undeniably aroused.

Walking towards the mini bar inside his room, Laxus poured himself a shot of whiskey and sat on the couch that was facing the window. He wanted to get laid so badly tonight but the idea of going out once again just to pick up some horny slut felt like such a hassle. If he had not managed to stop himself and his urges earlier, he wondered what he could have done to the girl. He thanked his rational side for kicking in. She was a guild member, she was family and for all he knows the girl might hate him for taking advantage over her like that. Their heated kiss had left him wanting for more. Chugging down the whiskey, he stood up and undressed. He needed to vent out his frustration and he neebed a long, cold shower.

* * *

><p>"Gray-sama?"<p>

"J-Juvia?! What are you doing here?"

The Water Mage approached him as he walking on the street, taking his precious time, on his way to the mayor's office to report for the mission that he took from the request board yesterday. He stopped on his tracks as Juvia got near him with a smile on her face.

"Juvia followed you, Gray-sama." She timidly said and he felt like face palming.

Of course, it should no longer come as a surprise to him. He had been perfectly aware of her stalking tendencies. Gray suddenly remembered his talk with Erza when she told him that he should realize the Water Mage's feelings for him when he left the bar that night, not wanting to get caught up between Lyon and Juvia. It had been a hellish tug-of-war. He had no idea if Lyon was serious about her of if he was only doing it in order to spite him. For all he cares, Lyon could have Juvia but Gray knew that a small part of him also liked the attention that the Rain Woman was giving him. It made him feel special, it made him feel important and more importantly, it boasts up his ego.

"Juvai saw Gray-sama left the guild yesterday so Juvia decided follow because Juvia was worried." She further explained as he started to walk, his hands in his pockets.

Gray sighed. "You don't have to worry, Juvia. I can handle this mission on my own."

"Juvia knows that. Juvia also knows that Gray-sama is strong but Juvia just can't help but worry. What if something happened to Gray-sama? Juvia would not know what to do. Juvia hopes you don't mind." The girl said, interlocking her fingers while smiling brightly at him.

For some reasons he did not want to look at her. He had planned to take this mission alone so he could focus and now she had to ruin his plans and it was not like he could just tell her to go home. Sure, he was kind of rude sometimes but he had long ago gotten used to her constant presence around him. She will still follow him even if he tells her not too. Why was she even so obsessed with him? He had made it clear to her a couple of time before that he just doesn't see her that way but it only made the girl even more determined to catch his heart. Then, there was also the Rain Woman's issue with Lucy.

For god's sake Lucy was his team mate and it was not like she was his girlfriend. Lucy was only a friend but why does Juvia keeps on insisting that Lucy was her love rival? Could she have possibly sensed that something had happened between him and Lucy? No.

That's impossible.

It was only a one-time thing, a spur of the moment. Hell, they did not even talk about it when the next day came. It was as if nothing happened between them but it actually confused him a bit.

When did it happen again?

Oh, yeah.

It was after his mission together with Juvia. When they arrived that night at the guild, a party was going on and everyone was jovial and in high spirits. That night was a just typical guild scene. Everyone was drinking, except of course Wendy and Romeo for they were too young to consume alcohol. Even if he was tired from the mission, Gray decided to join the fun and went to the table where his team mates were gathered. He was slightly astonished when Juvia sat beside him and started to drink too since she would always go straight home after their mission. Erza was eating her cake, Happy was trying to woe Charle with a fish wrapped in a sloppy ribbon, Natsu was eating a chicken on fire and drinking at the same time; and Lucy was talking to Levy who was leaning her back against Gajeel's arm.

"Oh, hi Gray." Erza greeted him and he nodded in return.

"Yo, Ice Princess."

"Shut up, St. Elmo. I'm tired."

Natsu frowned at him. "Eh? You're no fun." He ignored Gray and turned to Lucy instead who also waved him off.

"Can't you see I'm busy here? Go bother someone else." The blonde said without even looking at Natsu.

Feeling rejected, the Fire Dragon Slayer sulked on his seat as Happy tried to console him.

"It's okay, Natsu. Lucy is just plain mean. She's also grumpy like an old hag." The cat said with a mocking, sad look on his face, as he rested his paw on Natsu's shoulder.

"What was that, alley cat?" Lucy was now pissed.

Gray felt his lips curve into a smile as he observed her and Happy exchange insults. Then, sensing that someone was looking at her, Lucy turned her head and met his gaze. For a moment he thought he saw her blush so he looked away quickly and proceeded to drink. The blond turned quiet across him and started to play with her mug, drinking every now and then. After a while, Cana came over and challenged the group to a drinking match after winning a round at the other table.

"We all know that you're going to win, Cana." Erza stated, finishing the last of her cake.

The Card mage ignored her and sat on the table along with her large barrel of booze then everyone was surprised when Lucy suddenly stood up and announced that she will take her on. Her face was full of determination.

"Heh. You sure?" Cana asked her quite seductively.

"Don't, Lucy. You're only going to lose." Erza told the girl.

"It's fine, it's fine," Lucy smiled at the redhead. "This is just for fun. Right, Cana?"

"Sure."

As expected, Cana won but this time, it was by default since Lucy decided to stop. Natsu was already stumped, passed out on the floor along with some other guild members and even Levy was smashed and was lying her head on Gajeel's lap who tried to keep a straight look on his face as if he was not affected. Erza, on the other hand, only had a few drinks. When Juvia announced that she was retiring, Erza insisted to come along with her since it was already dangerous and because they live in the same place. Gray had been drinking too but he had been controlling his alcohol intake, not wanting to wake up the next day with a bad hangover but then, that was when it all happened.

Mira announced that the bar was closing so Gajeel and Lily took Levy home and he was left with a drunken Lucy.

"Gray, you should take her home." Mira told him. Well, it was more like an order.

"It can't be helped, right? Fine."

He moved towards the drunken Celestial Mage and helped her stand up while she giggled and kept telling him that she was fine.

"You're not fine, Lucy. You're drunk." He told her as he wrapped an arm across her shoulder, helping her walk out of the guild.

"Jeez. Why did you even drink in the first place?" He asked her on the way.

"B-becosh I wasss… I was jelossh." She giggled again, realizing that her tongue slurred out the words.

"Huh?" Did he hear her right?

Shrugging his shoulders, they continued to walk in silence until they reached her apartment. He was eager to get home because his mind was starting to play tricks on him. Having a hot girl pressed close to his body made his own flesh heat up. Was it even possible? He was an Ice Mage but maybe it was also because of the alcohol. But then again, Lucy was like a sister to him yet why was he having these dirty thoughts about her? Her face looked so enticing. Gray decided to ignore his thoughts, thinking that he could deal with it later when he gets home.

He took her key from her pocket, struggled to open the door to her apartment and helped her to bed but what she did next made his eyes budge. Sitting at the edge of her bed, she was looking at him as if her eyes were on fire. Without warning, she started stripping her clothes off, leaving only her violet colored lacy undergarments. Oh, how it made her milky skin stand out against the color.

"W-what the hell are you doing, Lucy?"

The girl did not say anything but instead she made a purring sound that made his body heat double up. Then, she had this doleful look on her face as she pouted.

"Gray…" she said in a soft whisper.

He started to panic, not knowing what to do.

"Lucy, you're drunk. Go to sleep now."

"B-but, Gray." She said seductively as she pouted again then she stood up. He took a step backwards, feeling his body falter.

"W-what?"

"Your clothes." She purred.

He looked at his body and noticed that he was shirtless. Gray groaned out loud and tried to look for his clothes, trying to remember where he could have possibly stripped them off. Then, Lucy giggled, making him look at her again as she continued to walk towards him. He did not know where to look but then his eyes fell on the piece of clothing that she was holding. He quickly reached out to grab his shirt but Lucy was quick and flung it away behind her.

"Dammit, Lucy!" He hissed. The almost naked girl in front of him was like a different person.

It was not Lucy.

It was the alcohol. And it was walking towards him.

In a sexy way.

He backed away again, only to feel the wall on his back, blocking his retreat and by now, she had him trapped against the wall, her naked front was incredibly soft against his naked chest. He could feel his heartbeat going wild. Lucy moved her hand up and placed it on his chest as she looked at him, her brown eyes hazy with lust. As much as he wanted to stop her, he found it so hard to move his body.

The thoughts inside his head came to a complete stop when he felt her soft lips against his but he was even more surprised when he found himself kissing her back. She tasted like cherry.

This was so wrong.

He knew he that they were not supposed to be doing this but they were clearly both intoxicated and his body was just not listening to him. Then, their tongues met, dancing in passion and he felt himself going mad when he heard her moan out his name and how it sounded so right coming from her. Lucy broke out from their kiss and looked at him, gently running her slender fingers in a teasing manner along his jaw. When did she turn out like this? He had never thought that the girl had it in her.

"Sleep with me, Gray?" She asked him and it almost sounded like a supplication that he just couldn't refuse. The Celestial Mage had transformed into succubus, enticing him to sin. His control finally disappeared as she trailed her hands at the edge of his pants, gently caressing his skin.

"Fuck it."

He gave in to the pleasure as he stripped the last of their clothing and pushed her towards the bed while she was squirming in pleasure underneath him. There was nothing left for him to do but to take her, there was no room for thinking things over, no room for reasons, not room for anything except to just follow his instincts and it was only when he woke up the next day when it all dawned to him. He had taken her virginity.

"Gray-sama?" Her voice made him snap out from his thoughts.

"Uhh,"he looked at her. "What?"

"We're here," Juvia announced and seeing the redness of his face, she frowned in anxiousness, stepping closer to him. "Are you all right, Gray-sama?"

"Of course. Why are you asking?"

"Well," she said, "Juvia just thinks that Gray-sama is thinking about something bad since Gray-sama had an uncomfortable look on his face."

"You're right but it's nothing," he said sullenly. "I just remembered something that I never should have done."

**TBC**

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><p>And there you have it!<p>

What do you guys think? Tell me about it!

Please don't forget to R&R!

Until then! :)


	4. Your Voice

Holla! How are you guys doing?

Anyways, just a little note: I decided to make Gray a tad more OOC. I love him to bits but sorry, he'd be a jerk here this time. I'll make it up to him on my next story!

And oh, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE HEARTWARMING REVIEWS!

**DISCLAIMER: HIRO MASHIMA OWNS FAIRY TAIL**

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><p><strong>CHAPTER FOUR<strong>

**YOUR VOICE**

It was very strange.

It was like having a nest inside your head and then there are birds chirping inside.

It was weird but it made her feel so giddy.

She can barely stand it.

For a foolishly excessive degree, Lucy Heartfilia felt… bizarre.

No.

It was almost kind of freakish.

The incessant ringing of the wake up call from the hotel's lacrima on the bedside table woke her up from a particularly odd dream. The moment that Lucy opened her eyes, she was filled with a big amount of energy and she had no idea where it came from. For some reasons, she felt really refreshed and brand new like a newborn chick that just got out of its shell. It must be because she had never slept so well her whole life but there could be other reasons. If Happy would see her now, for sure the cat would not hesitate one moment to comment on her disposition and call her weird again but that greedy blue cat was not around so Lucy decided to let her the silly grin stay.

Shrugging it off and enjoying the sunny sensation, Lucy got out of bed, skipped towards the bathroom while singing and humming and took a long, good shower. Drying herself off with a towel, Lucy went out of the bathroom and blow-dried her golden hair that had grown longer over time. She went to the walk-in closet and picked her outfit, taking her sweet time, when it suddenly occurred to her that she was supposed to do some packing up.

"Oh, holy fish." She muttered to herself dryly, feeling her fingers grow cold.

Lucy remembered her deal with Laxus but for some reasons, it did not dampen her high spirits and she felt almost excited. Hosenka was a town known for its world-class spa resorts but she only get to indulge herself in it once because of the sudden unexpected turn of the events. Either way, she was going to Akane Beach Resort anyway so it doesn't hurt her like how it was supposed to. Regret was just nowhere to be found.

She picked out a cream-colored summer sleeved mini dress that reached her mid-thigh with a thin braided belt on the waist, where she strapped her keys and whip in, and finished it off with a flat brown boots that reached just below her knees. She twirled around the mirror, seeing the ends of the dress swirl around her, she giggled to herself feeling like a girl. Well, technically she was, but you get it.

Packing up her stuff hastily, Lucy checked the time and saw that it was only a little after 6 o'clock and that there was no need for her to be up on her toes and rush. She still had a little bit of time left to spare so she decided to style her hair in messy rope braids and let the ends fall down her shoulders before putting on a make-up, going for a natural look, and went down to the hotel restaurant to have her breakfast.

Arriving at the open restaurant, she ordered a cup of coffee and some French toasts. She decided to sit on the corner, enjoying the serene atmosphere of the place and loving the warm heat of the sunlight that hit her, bathing her milky white skin. After a while, a group of five, probably a family, went in and had their breakfast, filling the room with noise. She smiled subtly while watching them, not minding how noisy it had gotten. She was used to it anyway and it was because of Fairy Tail.

Lucy was sipping her coffee nonchalantly, thinking of this and that, when she saw a golden lamppost walking towards her table. She must have been really distracted not to notice his entrance. His appearance made her blush, adding color to her already pink cheeks.

Apollo?

Zeus?

He was looking at her when their eyes suddenly met, she remembered, and a bad time at that, for she suddenly choked on her coffee and almost spilled the hot liquid on her dress. Her heart started to throb wildly and she felt funny in the stomach, making her want to puke. Laxus smirked and took a seat across her.

"You okay there, Blondie?" he asked her, feeling smug. "Didn't take you as the type who likes to choke."

"S-shut up." She said, covering her mouth with a napkin and looked away when she heard how high her voice sounded.

Laxus only chuckled lightly and ordered breakfast while Lucy decided to play with her toast, trying to calm the erratic flipping of her innards. When his food arrived, Laxus immediately started eating and Lucy found herself staring at his face. She noticed that his hair was still slightly wet. Her eyes trailed downwards and settled languidly on his infamous lightning bolt scar. Whenever people would look at him, Lucy noticed, they always feel this sense of power and authority emanating from him. At closer look, Lucy also realized that he does not actually look scary as how people pegged him to be. His face, in fact, actually looked calm and collected and the color of his eyes added to that appeal. Moving away from his scar, Lucy's eyes fell on his lips and saw that there was a slight cut. Her breath started to hitch. She almost wanted to jump out of her seat and rush to the bathroom and throw up.

She nervously looked away and reached for the forgotten cup of coffee in front of her as an act to exorcise the little demons playing inside her belly. She hooked a finger around its handle and brought the cup upwards but for some reasons, the almost empty cup felt too heavy for her. Her fingers were starting to shake and she gave up, putting the cup back with a loud clang that made Laxus look up. He was about to open his mouth to say something but before he could, she cut him off.

"D-don't say anything!"

Laxus closed his mouth and raised an eyebrow. He was about to react once again but Lucy raised her hand in his face.

"Shush!"

Lucy saw the mischievous glint in his eyes as he smirked once again. She started thinking that he probably had an idea why she was acting that way and he was eager to make fun of her about it.

Stupid fucking alcohol, playing with her brain.

Little did they both know that they were currently thinking about the same thing: something that had happened last night.

When they arrived in front of the hotel, with Lucy now clinging in his arm for support, Laxus suddenly let out a dry chuckle. Lucy looked at him in question.

"Well?" she asked.

"Nothing," he sighed. "It's just that I happen to check in here as well."

"Oh. Let's go then."

They went to the front desk to take their keys when Lucy noticed that his key holder had the same color as hers. Laxus, having realized it too, looked at her and both started laughing. The personnel at the front desk only looked at them in confusion but thought that it must be the couple's own private joke and how good they looked together. The pair left and took the elevator up to the fifth floor in silence.

"What a coincidence." Lucy remarked as they reached the front door of her room.

"Yeah. My room's right across yours." He said as she let go of him. They continued to look at each other, not exactly knowing how to part.

"So, good night then, Blondie. I'll see you tomorrow?"

Lucy bit her lip, obviously trying to bite back a smile that was starting to grace her lips. It must be because of the alcohol that she felt herself grow bold or it could be that she did not want to let one good night end just like this. Being with him made her feel almost like a woman and the way that he would look at her made her feel strange in a good way.

Never in a million years had Lucy thought that she would be having such a good time with him, much less hold a proper conversation with the Lightning Dragon Slayer without feeling too awkward or too intimidated by his good looks or his domineering character. She had always thought that he was nothing but a rude jerk who only knows how to piss and bully someone who would come near him within a one-inch space but somehow, he had been kind of nice to her the whole time, even if they did not talk that much.

Back at the guild, Lucy would sometimes find herself thinking of trying to approach and talk to him but the chance never showed its face to her since Natsu would always haggle her most of the time and her attention would be directed to Gray. Whenever both boys were away, Laxus would be out of the guild with his team for a mission and he always hangs out at the second floor that was designed exclusively for S-class mages. Plus, if she did approach him, what would she say? The Thunder God Tribe always surrounded him anyways.

When the dragon slayer turned his back to get inside his room, Lucy felt her arm move on its own, grabbing the sleeve of his shirt. Laxus stopped on his tracks and looked back at her.

"Uhh." She looked down, trying hard not to fidget and unsure why she did what she just did but what he did next took her off guard. Suddenly, he grabbed her chin gently and lifted it up until they were seeing each other eye to eye.

"Yes?" His voice was husky and she felt her throat go dry.

With that one touch, Lucy felt her body shiver. No wonder he was a lightning dragon slayer. His eyes looked dark and electrifying and it reminded her of the sky when it was about to rain. Laxus stepped closer towards her and it was almost as if something took hold of her.

"Do you want to… uh… maybe come in?"

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><p>When he knocked on her door earlier, she did not answer. A couple of thoughts went through his mind. She could still be sleeping; maybe she's taking a shower. He waited for a moment, his patience growing thin before he decided to knock again, loudly this time. After waiting for a couple of seconds, he started to feel uneasy. Maybe she ran away?<p>

The thought of being ditched made him growl silently in the empty corridor but he figured that it was not the case. Although he barely knows her, he was sure that she was just not that kind of girl. He can smell her scent and it was strong, so he figured that she was still around. Laxus stepped away from the door and tried to follow her the trail of vanilla and something pleasant and it led him to the restaurant.

When he saw her, Laxus was almost blinded for a moment. She looked like an angel in her dress and the light of the sun that hit her skin made them look as if she was glowing gold. Her golden hair was lighter from the sunlight and each and every batting of her eyelashes made her look as if she was a goddess who got lost on Earthland.

Laxus noticed that Lucy was lost in her own little world and his guess was right when her eyes met his because she suddenly choked on her coffee, making him wanting to laugh then and there but he stopped himself immediately, thinking that it would be too weird if he did. Taking the seat in front of her, he noticed the nervousness that was emanating from her.

Before he could say anything, the blond started to blab and stutter about him shutting up. Seeing how flustered she looked was way too amusing for his own liking but he kind of liked it, it made her look cute and it made him want to just look at her forever as he observed the constant ebb and flow of her emotions that were projected directly at her face. Never had he felt like this before but he decided to go along with it, not wanting to ruin the moment.

While he was eating, he can feel that she was looking at him, boring holes through his body but decided to ignore it anyway, quite enjoying the fact that she was looking at him. He almost wanted to tease her about it but just when he was about to, he heard a loud clang in front of him. The girl just keep on amusing him and he did not feel bored being in her company. She was not like one of those whiny girls that he used to go out with.

Laxus by now wanted so bad to talk to her and ask her where's the fire but twice… twice he cut her off and it clicked in his mind that it had probably something to do with what happened last night. He did not expect that she would actually invite him inside her room.

When he bade her good night that time, he could sense the uneasiness in her but even if he wanted to, he decided not to push his luck, especially not with her but that was before she held him back and asked him to come inside. The girl in front of him was just so hot for him to look at, not to mention the sweet and intoxicating scent that her body had been giving off all through the time that they had been walking together but the smell was growing stronger now, and he had an idea where this was leading to until his animal instinct took over.

When Lucy opened the door with trembling hands and stepped in, he followed after her, closing the door behind him with a loud bang and without further ado, he pushed her against the wall beside the door and crashed his lips on hers. She struggled for a moment but his body only listened to the lust that took over him and trapped her with his arms. Soon enough, the girl finally gave in and opened her mouth to let out a soft moan and without hesitating, Laxus drove his tongue inside her wet mouth, tasting the alcohol, tasting her sweetness, feeling her tongue.

He sensed her wiggle slightly; asking for space and she brought her arms around his neck, then brushed the tips of her fingers through his hair, caressing the ends of the strands at the back of his head. He felt tingly from her soft touch and pressed his hips close to hers, taking in the wonderful sensation as he grinded his erection against her. Breaking off their kiss, Laxus moved his head downwards, trailing light kisses on her jaw up to the crook of her neck and licked it, making the girl whimper out a moan that he badly wanted to hear again and again.

Bending his arm, he moved his hand on her arm, gripping it tightly before brushing his rough palms on her skin up and down and reached for her breasts, groping it lightly, eliciting another moan from her. He wanted so damn baldy to just rip off her clothes and take her there without care in the word but she suddenly grabbed his head and started to kiss him in the mouth once again. Laxus directed his need to the kiss and started sucking her lower lip aggressively, drawing blood.

Lucy cried out in the pleasurable pain that she felt at the moment and suddenly bit his lip in return, making him pull away in surprise. He looked her and saw her lust-filled eyes, as he groaned out in frustration. He can almost imagine how wet she was down under but suddenly, the girl gasped at him with her eyes wide.

"Sorry." She said, breaking him out from the trance and reached towards his lips.

He felt his body shudder lightly when she brushed a finger on his lip and suddenly hissed from the light pain. When Lucy finally moved her finger, Laxus saw a bit of blood in it. He licked his lips and tasted blood. The damned vixen can actually bite. He grabbed Lucy's wrist that was in front of him and licked the blood off her finger.

"It's fine. Just a little cut."

"Yeah. Uh. We should probably go to sleep." Her voice was low and breathy.

He grunted in reply, still high from what they just did. "Yes. I think we probably should," He moved away from her and opened the door. "See you tomorrow, Blondie."

Neither of them said a word for a moment, as their thoughts took a trip back to what happened the night before they finally retreated back to their respective rooms. Laxus could tell from a single glance that the girl was bothered from what went on between them.

'What a great start.' He sarcastically thought to himself.

He could not decided whether or not to thank the damned lion spirit or curse him for making him go through such a difficult situation but he was also somewhat to blame. Now, how were they supposed to enjoy their trip later on to Akane Beach Resort without feeling uneasy just because of them almost doing 'it'? Laxus sighed and finished eating.

"Does it hurt?"

He looked at her and saw worry in her eyes.

"I mean the cut on your lip."

"Oh," he drank some water and wiped his mouth with a napkin and shook his head. "Nah. This is nothing compared to what I've been through."

Lucy hung head on the side, thinking what he could have meant by that before finally speaking again.

"Are the S-class missions really that hard?"

"Nothing's hard for me, Blondie," he said with a smirk, obviously putting one foot forward.

She smiled at him. "I went in once though, on an S-class mission, with Natsu."

Now, he was taken somewhat a back. As far as he can remember, the boy was not an S-class mage. He waited for her to continue and sensing this, Lucy laughed a bit.

"It was a long time ago. Natsu and Happy stole an S-class mission from the board at the second floor and I got dragged along since I was his partner. At first I really did not want to go with them because, well, they were obviously breaking the rules when Mira explained how S-class missions work but then I saw the additional reward of having the Gate Key to one of the Twelve Zodiacs so I got really tempted and before I knew it, we were on a boat to Galuna Island. I kind of knew that Natsu and Happy purposely left the flyer for the mission when I turned them down. I felt kind of stupid when I realized I fell right through the trap of a cat and an immature idiot."

Laxus nodded his head. "What was the mission about?"

Lucy thought for a moment. "I can't really remember much since a lot of things happened and the seven year time skipped fogged up my brain but apparently, the island was hunted and the people who put up the request seemed to be suffering from a curse. Some of their body parts were that of a demon's and then there was that ominous and creepy looking moon that everyone believed to be the cause why they were transforming. In the end, it turned out that Lyon, you know him right? Well, he was trying to resurrect Deliora so he could defeat the beast in order to surpass his and Gray's teacher."

As soon as Lucy slowly recalled the events that had happened, she started to remember what Gray had gone through that time. He almost sacrificed his life to freeze back Deliora but Natsu got in the way and stopped him. Being a beginner as a mage in a guild, Lucy also remembered the difficulty that she had gone through, fighting with the few number of spirits that she had at that time but she knew that her battle back then cannot compare to what Gray had experienced both physically and emotionally. Sensing that her thoughts were running about again, she mentally slapped herself and focused back to Laxus.

"Sounds like you had been through a lot, too, Blondie," he said. "But I figured that being around Natsu, you have to be prepared for anything. Whenever I see him he would be up to something troublesome with a flame inside his mouth. Heck, even I have no idea what is going on through that pea-sized brain of his."

Lucy laughed at his words and received a smile from him. That took away the tricky moment that they had just a little while ago.

"Well, we should probably go. Don't want to miss the train."

Lucy nodded and grinned at him, willing to forgo with her want to confront him about what happened. "In that case, I'm all fired up!"

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><p>Finally back at the guild, Gray reported his mission as success. He had planned to split the reward with Juvia since she also helped him with the job but the Rain Woman insisted that he take all of the reward since he was the one who took the request and she just kind of helped. Not wanting to argue with her, he decided to accept the money and they went back to Magnolia. The Water Mage, as usual, decided to go straight home, and Gray, after making sure that Juvia really went home, he went directly to the request board to snatch up another mission, this time, determined to go by himself.<p>

"Yo, Mira."

The barmaid looked up to him and smiled as he sat on the bar and ordered a drink. Looking around, he was glad that there were only a few people inside the guild at that time.

"How's the mission?" She asked, handing him his drink.

"It's fine. Where's Natsu?"

The older woman thought for a moment as she proceeded to wipe the glasses on the sink. "He told me he would be out for the day fishing with Happy."

Gray smiled at her and quickly finished his drink before placing the mission flyer on the table. "Great. I'm taking another one."

"Eh? Won't you rest for a while? Maybe you can take it tomorrow instead."

The Ice Make mage shook his head. "Nah. I'd rather go now. I don't want Natsu to get in the way and go home with a deducted reward."

"If that's what you want then." Wiping her hands clean with a towel, Mira took out the stamp and approved the mission that he took after reading it. The boy did not waste a minute to get it from her and walked away in gratitude.

"Be careful, Gray." Mira called out to him who, in turn, waved his hand up in the air and exited through the door.

He wanted to be away from anyone as much as possible, not with his thoughts in turmoil. He did something stupid again and he wondered what was going to happen by the time he comes back at the guild. He was really tired but he figured that he could take a little rest on the train. Buying a ticket for one, he boarded the train just in time for departure. His luck seems to be walking in a different path and not where he wanted it to run.

Hearing the usual whistle as a sign of departure, Gray sank on the two-seater bench of the train compartment all to himself. He leaned on his head on the window to relax his stiff muscles and waited for sleep to come and take his stress away but his thoughts kept him awake. He did not want to remember what happened.

It took them almost one whole day to finish the entire mission. Gray inwardly cursed, knowing that Juvia was mainly the reason why the job dragged on but he did not want to offend the girl by telling her off so he decided to keep it to himself. After they got out from the mayor's office and after getting their reward, it was almost dark and the last train back to Magnolia had already left 30 minutes ago. He badly wanted to get home but seeing that it was no longer possible, they decided to check in at a nearby inn so they could directly head out to the train station by the next morning.

During the whole time, from dinner onwards, Juvia mostly kept her mouth shut and Gray did not particularly mind since he was in no mood to talk. He just felt off for some reasons, especially after remembering the whole deal with Lucy. As soon as he was back in his room, he decided to take a cold bath and went straight to bed but then he heard a knock on the door.

"Gray-sama? Are you still awake? Can Juvia come in?"

Gray groaned and wondered what could she possibly want at this hour. He sat up, turned on the lights and opened the door. The Water Mage, dressed in her sleeping clothes, went inside the room.

"What do you want?" He tried so hard not to sound rude.

"Juvia just wanted to ask Gray-sama if he's okay. Juvia knows it's none of her business but if there's something bothering Gray-sama, Juvia is here to listen." The Rain woman said with her usual timid voice.

"And what makes you think that there is something that is bothering me?"

"That's because Juvia knows Gray-sama well. Juvia has been observing Gray-sama for a long time that's why Juvia knows if Gray-sama is feeling well or not."

"Damn." He muttered under his breath walked towards the foot of the bed and sat there. Juvia followed after him and planted herself beside him.

"Gray-sama? If you don't mind Juvia asking, did something happen between you and Lucy-san?"

Gray looked at her, flabbergasted. Just what the hell is going on through her head? Lucy again. Lucy this, Lucy that. It's the same thing at the guild.

"Nothing happened, Juvia, and why did you think that?"

"Well, it's because I heard that Lucy-san suddenly left the guild and that Gray-sama decided to take on this mission alone when he could have gone with Natsu-san after hearing that Lucy-san was away."

He only sighed. Of course, she would think that. "No. Nothing happened between Lucy and me, and this has got nothing to do with her."

"If Gray-sama says so."

At last.

Just when he thought he was off the hook for the night, the girl beside him did not move nor showed any signs of leaving.

"Is there something else?" he asked her, trying to fast forward everything.

"Gray-sama, do you have someone you like?"

What the hell? Does he really need to deal with this? He should have made her go home when he had the chance earlier.

"No."

"Then why won't Gray-sama look at Juvia? Is there something wrong with Juvia?"

"Look, Juvia, I know you're tired and I'm also tired. Get some rest and we'll talk in the morning."

Juvia stood up but she went in front of him and kneeled down so they were face to face.

"Sorry, Gray-sama but Juvia really wants to know. When will Gray-sama look at Juvia as a woman and not as a friend or as a guild mate? I know that you already told Juvia that Gray-sama just doesn't see her that way but still, Juvia is hoping that maybe, one day, Gray-sama will give her the chance."

"Juvia." Gray warned, agitated.

Juvia only shook her head and Gray could almost see that she was trying hard to be honest with her feelings for him once again. She just never stops. When will she ever learn?

"I know Gray-sama likes Lucy-san. I can see it in his eyes. That's why Juvia knows that Lucy-san is her love-rival even if Lucy-san would always deny it."

"You're wrong, Juvia."

What. The. Hell.

This was too much. Where did she get this whole idea between him and Lucy? For all he knows Lucy likes Natsu but thinking back, why would the girl even sleep with him, much less give her first to him, when she likes that Flame-Brained idiot? Nah, it was just because she was smashed that time. Yes. That's it. It was all thanks to the mighty alcohol, making people do things that they were bound to regret later on but seeing the look on the blue-haired girl's face, she was not buying it.

Then it made him think, does he like Lucy? Hell no. Just as he said, she's a friend for god's sake and she's almost like a sister to him. Sure, he thought of her as interesting and cute and not to mention her gorgeous body that's to die for but that's about it and Natsu seemed to have placed first dibs on her but the idiot was such a dense fool to even realize it. Gray sighed in resignation. He just wanted to get on and over this.

"What do I have to do to make you stop?"

The girl looked nervously at him for a moment but then cleared her throat, her face reddening.

"Just one night, Gray-sama. That is all that Juvia is asking from Gray-sama. Just give Juvia a try and if you still don't feel anything for Juvia then… then Juvia will leave Gray-sama alone."

"What do you mean?" Of course he knew what the girl means but he didn't want some confusion to happen so he had make sure he got the message loud and clear.

"Sleep with me, Gray-sama."

He froze for a moment after hearing her words but it wasn't Juvia's voice that he heard. It was Lucy's and that night came to him again. He heard her voice again, it was louder and it was clearer. It rang inside his ears and shot through his heart. It was Lucy's voice, Lucy's words.

"Sleep with me, Gray."

And that's when he lost control.

**TBC**

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><p>So, what do you guys think?<p>

Is it bad?

Thanks for the reviews and all! I appreciate everything guys.

Please don't forget to R&R and I'll see you all on the next chapter!


	5. Specs of Gold

How's it poppin', everyone? I'm not doing too well myself. Been having a writer's block lately and my mind was filled with Psychological Testing and Assessment. Tch. And that's not all. My head's been full of pre-colonial this, psychoanalysis that… I swear, my hair's turning all white!

Anyways, I'm really sorry if this chapter's a little boring. I've tried making it fun but this is where things pick up for what's going to happen next.

Also, a big thanks to XxShyxX for, well, unblocking my writer's block. Thanks a bunch!

**DISCLAIMER: HIRO MASHIMA OWNS FAIRY TAIL**

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><p><strong>CHAPTER FIVE<strong>

**SPECS OF GOLD**

She was right.

She had been right all along.

The proof had been more than enough.

After parting with Gray at the train station, she stood at the platform for a while and watched his figure retreat in the distance. She tried so hard to maintain the usual look on her face but as soon as he was gone she ran as fast as her feet could take her towards Fairy Hills, trying so hard not to let go of the tears that were by then threatening to fall. When she arrived inside the girl's dorm, she bumped into Levy who fell butt-first on the floor.

"Sorry, Levy-chan." Juvia hastily said and walked past the girl without even bothering to help her.

Instead of getting mad, Levy stood up and wondered what was wrong.

"Juvia? What's wrong?" Levy called out to her.

"It's nothing. I'm fine, just a little bit tired from the mission."

Levy's mouth hung open. There was obviously something wrong, not to mention that Juvia wasn't speaking in third person. She watched as Juvia sprinted up the stairs and soon heard a loud bang of the door closing.

"Oh, well." Shrugging it off, Levy left the dormitory and headed out to the guild, hoping that she could get answers. Mira will probably have an idea what was up with Juvia.

After closing her door shut, Juvia collapsed on the floor and leaned her back against the door. She could not take it anymore. Her tears fell like there was no tomorrow and thought that it was probably better than keeping them all bottled up. Maybe if she could only possibly drown in her own tears then it's fine. The pain that she felt was killing her. Looking up, she saw his face. Everything inside her room reminded her of him, from her bed to her desk, up to the four walls of her room, and for the first time in her life, it was beyond suffocating.

"How can you be so cruel to Juvia, Gray-sama?" She croaked, looking at his large picture on the wall. "What did Juvia do to deserve this?!"

Crying her heart out, she had no idea what to do. As much as wanted to hate her Gray-sama, her love for him won out.

So, this was how it feels.

An unrequited love.

The weight of the fact just dawned in. At first, she did not actually mind that he kept telling her off, that he had rejected her a few times before but she did not realize that the risk that she took last night was the last straw and her suspicions had been right about Lucy. How could she ever hate the girl? She was so kind to everyone, always happy like the sun. No wonder Gray fell for her.

Lucy Heartfilia.

The golden girl of the guild.

Her love-rival and the girl who kept denying that Juvia was not her love-rival.

When she thought that she could finally have Gray to herself, when she thought that she could finally get him to look at her, all of her hopes went down the drain. When she dropped the bomb last night and when he pushed her down the bed as he kissed her, she felt like she was at the top of the world. She was so happy that she tried so hard not to reduce her body into a glob of water from the euphoria that she felt.

It took her more than courage to tell him everything and she was glad that he listened to her instead of scurrying away. When they started taking missions together, she was beyond the sun, knowing that the gap between them was slowly dissipating and it made her think that she actually had a shot at him.

When Juvia finally decided to join Fairy Tail, mainly because of Gray, she promised herself to devote to him and always protect him but in the end, he was always the one who would end up protecting her. Recalling her fight with Meredy, Juvia realized that she did not want him to suffer because of her and she made it a point to get stronger. But just like that, her luck went out of the window.

She had no idea if she should be happy right now after what had happened between them. After all, Gray finally made love to her but then again, she felt nothing but darkness, hatred, anger, sadness and pain. It was too much and she felt like her chest would burst open any minute by now. Last night was like a dream and a nightmare and she did not want to believe that Gray, of all people, had managed to break her heart.

Gray took her. He kissed her. He touched her in the places where she never thought he would but when he finally entered her, it was someone else's name that he called. It rang inside her ears, as she lay under him, too shocked to move. She fought back the tears and let him take her while murmuring Lucy's name over and over again.

Juvia wanted him to stop but he was too strong for her, she felt weak and so little. It made her feel like she was not worth a single thing.

"Lucy." Gray whispered to her as he kissed her neck.

"Lucy." Gray moaned her name while he rocked against her.

"Lucy." He said, his eyes closed.

Lucy. Lucy. Lucy.

By the time that they were over, Gray collapsed on the bed and fell asleep right away. When morning came, it was as if nothing happened. He was his usual, bored self and Juvia tried so hard not to let her emotions show. Not until he was finally gone. As Juvia sat on the floor, silently crying, a thunder clapped in the distance and was soon followed by a thick string of lightning that echoed in the sky. When the rain grew heavy, drowning out the sounds and soaking the city wet, Juvia wailed out. Seeing that it was not enough, the rain increased as she cried harder and harder until she can no longer hear her own agony.

* * *

><p>For once, Lucy was really glad of not having to deal with an overly exaggerated kinetosis from a dragon slayer. Lucy was surprised how calm Laxus had been during the whole ride towards Akane. Although his face did not betray the uneasiness that he felt, Lucy had to give it to him for being able to put up with it. Laxus slept during the whole time while she busied herself, thoroughly engaged in a book and without realizing it, she somehow fell asleep in the middle of the trip.<p>

When they finally arrived, Lucy, letting her curiosity got the better of her, finally asked him about it. Laxus only shrugged his shoulders before replying.

"Don't lump me what that idiot." He said, quite proud of himself but internally, he was a raging mess. All he wanted to do by now was to hit the sheets and take a rest for him to fully recover. No matter how strong he was, being a dragon slayer, he was not vulnerable to such a lame weak point.

"I'm not," Lucy said, mocking an offended look on her face, "it's just that I've seen how it is, especially at the Grand Magic Games. I saw how Gajeel, Sting and Natsu got held up in the race because of their motion sickness. They barely even made it that time."

"It was entertaining to watch," He smirked and Lucy only shook her head with a smile. "Well, once you get used to it, it's no big deal and don't forget that I'm stronger than those three. How shameful and they call themselves dragon slayers."

"Oh, please." Lucy teased him.

There was no way he was going to admit that he was not actually feeling good at that moment. Especially not in front of her.

Lucy giggled. "But you really look pale right now. Are you sure you're fine?"

"Don't push it, Blondie. I'm just a little tired."

"All righty, then." She said. Even if she wanted to bad to continue teasing him about it, she decided to drop the subject. She did not want to take her chance and anger the dragon slayer. They were not even close enough to be labeled as friends yet. She bit her lip, quite embarrassed at her own self for acting so familiar with him.

They finally arrived at the resort. Even if they did not have a reservation, they were quite lucky enough to get a room of their own choosing. After checking in, of course in separate rooms, the pair decided to rest for a while and planned meet up later on for dinner. Laxus immediately fell asleep after he took some medicine while Lucy, too overwhelmed by being in another place again, went to the terrace of her room and watched the sea from the distance.

She almost wished that Natsu and the gang was there with her and thought about all the fun that they could have but Natsu being Natsu, nothing will end well without him blowing something up and she could not afford to have him ruining her vacation. It was a good thing that she had saved up a lot of money before this trip and her rent was already covered for two months. While thinking about her team, her thought trailed to Gray and Lucy wondered what could he be up to right now. Was he on a mission with the team? Nah, not likely. If Erza was still away, then there was no way that Gray would pair up and take a mission with Natsu.

She did not want to let her mind wander beyond than what she wanted to think about because if she did, surely, her thoughts will lead straight to both Juvia and Gray. For sure the Rain Woman would be all over him, as usual. Admittedly, Lucy was jealous and she had no idea how she can get through it or face them once she arrives back at the guild without getting too worked up because of her jealousy.

Then she thought about Laxus once again. Their meeting had been quite a chance encounter and everything seemed like the days were moving at a top speed. She still had no idea how long they were going to stay here in Akane but she figured that instead of moping and thinking too much, she should just enjoy the trip. Once she goes back to Magnolia, reality will face her head on and she would become thoroughly busy again, taking missions and do some training with her spirits. Oh, speaking of spirits, Lucy wondered what they were up to. Lucy reached for her keys strapped on her waist but on second though, she decided against it.

Even with the huge time difference between Earthland and the Spirit World, and given that she herself was on vacation, Lucy figured that she would let her spirits take their rest as well. With a sigh, Lucy decided to go to sleep for a while, feeling alone. Dinner that night was uneventful. After a simple dinner at a restaurant by the sea over a wine, Laxus decided to hit the casino while Lucy declined. With nothing to talk about and with the both of them trying to avoid the subject of what happened the night before, dinner was pretty much ladled with polite conversation that had no depth at all.

Before heading straight back to her room at the hotel, Lucy decided to take a stroll on the shore, holding her shoes on her right hand. The white sand felt cold against the soles of her feet and the waves calmed her senses while she tried to think of what she could possibly do tomorrow but making plans on her own made her feel apprehensive since she was not alone in this trip. If were up to her, she would be contended enough to just sit somewhere and read a book or continue writing her novel but she knew that she had to take into consideration that she was with Laxus and that was the problem.

Lucy had no idea what the guy might like to do or what his idea of fun was. So much for her plans of doing un-Lucy like kind of things. Sighing to herself, she looked back and saw the huge amusement park nearby and shook her head, letting out a small laugh. There was just no way that the Lightning Dragon Slayer would ride those. Sure, it looks fun but he was too serious to even take one step inside. When he told her that he would go to the casino to play, Lucy only nodded her head. She had no interest on gambling and had declined his offer, not want to waste her money.

Damn. That guy must be loaded from all the S-class missions that he took. She really had to train herself more and become stronger so she could make it to the guild's next S-class examination. Last time had had been really difficult for everyone, no only to those who were trapped inside Tenrou Island but those who were left at Magnolia as well. She was glad that the guild's spirit was strong and the bond that they had never wavered even for one moment. She felt so lucky to be a part of Fairy Tail but she could not also deny the presence of the lingering sadness inside her. With a long sigh, she decided to go back to her room and retire.

* * *

><p>Tonight was his night.<p>

Sitting at the casino's bar, Laxus grinned to himself, fully satisfied at how his night had turned out. Gambling was not one of his strong point but tonight had been different and out of pure luck, he had managed to win a good amount of jewels, over more than 300,000, just by playing for three good rounds. When it was getting late Laxus decided to stop and went to the bar to have a drink, ignoring the hungry looks of the two women clad in skimpy clothes a few table away form where he was. He knew that he looked good enough to eat but do they really have to make it obvious?

A threesome?

Not bad. If this were like any other day he would gladly bed them until they can no longer walk but tonight, he just was not in the mood. The lower dragon was just not feeling it. Finishing his drink, he called for the bartender and asked for another one. He was on vacation, quite unexpectedly, and he could do whatever he wanted to, spend money like there was no tomorrow and just laze away but his high spirits turned sour upon the thought of Lucy. For some reasons, he was annoyed when the girl had declined his offer of coming with him to the casino.

The girl had been oddly quiet when they were having their dinner and his lack of social skills only dampened the quiet atmosphere mingled with the usual clanking of silvers against the plate. He had made plans to invite her for a drink but thought that maybe it was not the right move at the moment, especially since after what took place last night. With a frown, Laxus finished his drink, paid for his bill and walked back to the hotel.

There's always tomorrow.

After being woken up by Lucy, the pair headed towards the beachfront for breakfast and did a little bit of swimming. When the sun got too high and the heat was almost stingy, they decided to rest for a while and hang out on the beach loungers under the shade of a huge cream-colored parasol, listening to the sound of the waves and the hustle-bustle of the people around.

Ears covered by his Sound Pod, Laxus laid on the recliner wearing only in his wet, navy blue board shorts with his arms bent and his head resting against his palms while Lucy sat on the lounger beside him, re-applying her sunblock, totally immersed at what she was doing. Cracking an eye open, he let out a cat call as seeing her bent over, lathering the lotion against her smooth legs and giving him a generous view of her, well, you know what. Hearing him, Lucy reddened before she sat up straight with a glare.

"Yes? May I help you?" She said, clicking her tongue before crossing her arms on her chest.

Laxus only shrugged his shoulders and closed his eyes, a smirk playing slyly across his face.

"Asshole." He heard her mutter under her breath as she finished what she was doing before lying down. Lucy draped a shawl under her belly and opened a book, starting where she last left off but the sound of the waves crashing made it hard for her to concentrate as it lulled her to sleep, making her drop the book on her side with a soft clunk.

Hearing it, Laxus opened his eyes and glanced at the blond, amazed that she fell asleep right away, her chest heaving up and down rhythmically with her breathing. Her face looked so calm and he noticed the curving of her eyelashes and her lips. Damn. Without him realizing it, Laxus licked his own lips while staring at her plump, pouty pink lips, thinking how he wanted to taste them. His eyes then moved to her shapely body. Lucy was wearing a classic halter top gold and navy blue colored Bluefin bikini and Laxus' imagination woke up while he thought of what he can possibly do with her body but again, he stopped himself. He did not want to sport a boner in public. With a sigh, he closed his eyes again and listened to the music playing on his Sound Pod.

It was a little after noon when he woke up. Laxus removed his Sound Pod and glance at his blond companion who was still fast asleep, thinking whether or not to wake her up but then the sound of his stomach grumbling made him choose the latter. Standing up, he stretched and sat on the space beside the blond. Laxus shook her shoulders lightly.

"Oi. Blondie wake up."

"Stop it, Natsu." She grumbled sleepily, stirring as she moved her head to the side.

Laxus shook her again, ignoring that she called him by another man's name, a little bit forcefully this time and watched as she scrunched her nose before her eyes fluttered open, revealing a glazy pair of brown orbs.

"Morning, Blondie. Now, get up. I'm famished."

He stood up from beside her and took his white t-shirt on the table before putting it on, covering his tattoos. Lucy sat for a moment, letting her mind and eyes adjust from having been woken up.

"How long was I out?" She said with a small yawn, covering her mouth with a hand.

"Dunno. I just woke up myself."

Lucy stood up, still groggy and wrapped her shawl around her waist, emphasizing her curves. Combing her fingers through her hair and frowned at its dryness before tying her hair up in a messy bun. Walking side-by-side, little did they know that in the eyes of the people around them, they look just like a newly married couple, enjoying their honeymoon. While they were walking, Laxus boasted to her about how he won at the casino last night.

"Do you gamble a lot?" She asked.

He thought for a moment before shaking his head. "Nah. Not all the time. I only gamble when I have the chance but I'm not too keen on wasting too much money for something like that."

"So, you only do it for fun, yeah?"

"That's right, Blondie and if I'm feeling good tonight I might just treat you to dinne." He said with a wink while she frowned at the last bit.

"Tch. Stingy."

"What was that?"

Lucy gave off a toothy grin. "I said you're so kind, Sparky. Please be kind and treat me to dinner tonight."

The man had a scowl on his face but internally, he was thinking how damn cute she looked. They found a restaurant at the main street and decided to sit outside and enjoy the fresh sea breeze. Laxus could not help but notice the eager look on her face as she looked around her, wide eyes, acting as if she had just discovered some sort of lost city.

"You look like this is your first time being out on a trip, Blondie."

She nodded at him, still grinning. "Yeah, it is."

Well, that was new. Last time he heard, the girl was filthy rich and he could not help but look at her as if she was kidding.

"Really?"

"Yeah. I mean, if you don't count taking missions and not to mention the failed trips that I've had along with my team mates then yeah, this is my first time."

Judging by the look on his face Lucy figured that she needed to explain more. She put down her fork. "I lived a sheltered life before, even until after my mom died. We used to be happy and I was glad with them but after mom passed away, my dad changed and he started to ignore me, he pretended I did not exist so I was left alone in such a huge house. I was close with our family servants but it really wasn't enough and I wanted to be free. I know this sounds so cliché but I decided to run away to become a proper made and so I did and that's when Natsu and I kind of found each other then he brought me to Fairy Tail and here I am."

"Didn't know that bit, Blondie." He said after taking in what she just told him. As the girl across him went back to her food, he sat there, just staring at her. How could someone who through that kind of thing grew up to be such a bright and lively person? It just doesn't make any sense to him; especially remembering what he had also went through. Damn, if he were Lucy, he would plot a fucking revenge against those who made his life miserable. He snapped away from his thoughts when he realized a pair of eyes staring back at him.

"Uh, is there something on my face?"

"Nope." Laxus said, tearing his eyes away from her.

"Then why were you staring at me?"

"You look…"

"…I look? What?"

'_You look beautiful_,' he thought.

"You look like a frog," he said instead, snickering.

Lucy felt kicking him straight to Edolas. The nerve of him. He only laughed at her while she finished her food, scowling. After eating, Lucy excused herself to the restroom to put on her sundress and they decided to walk around the street since she told the guy that the last time she had been here, she was not able to check out the place because something happened. He tried to keep up with her as she walked in, hopping from one shop to another and instead of being annoyed, he felt just fine with it. Laxus admired how her hips would sway along while she walked, her sundress flaring above her knees. Trailing behind her, he could not help but think that he looked like a bodyguard, looking after a princess.

Lucy, on the other hand, was only trying to distract herself from thinking about him. She actually felt quite nervous being with him but it was more of like he was making her feel as if she was being divided in two- relaxed and restless; bold and shy; and neurotic and comfortable. She knew that he was a changed man but still, being with a male companion other than Natsu, Gray, Loke, and Gajeel, Laxus was different. While the other boys were fun to be with and even though they were gorgeous, Laxus was in a completely different tier and Lucy could not help but be aware of the masculinity that he exudes. After shopping, they decided to head back to the hotel as Lucy started to annoy him, trying to make him give in and so he did but not without smugly pointing out that she was just desperate to have a date with him.

* * *

><p>Calling Virgo for a dress and Cancer to do her hair, Lucy prepped up for her dinner with him. She wanted to dress casually but Laxus insisted that she dress up since they were going to an expensive restaurant that requires a formal dress code. Thankfully, Virgo brought out something decent. It was a strapless emerald green, Greek empire silhouette dress that fell on the floor, perfectly fit around her body with a slit along the side. Sitting in the front of the vanity mirror, Lucy checked her face if she over did her make up. She decided to just go with a natural look, so as not to put ideas in his head that she wanted to impress him. Maybe she did, but not that much. The guy was physically attractive so of course, she had to match up to him.<p>

Yes. That was it. No special meanings behind it.

No motives.

After all, her heart belongs to Gray and she can't afford to fall in love with Laxus. He was only being nice to her, after all, and knowing him, a lot of girls are probably all over him. He's just a companion and nothing more. She laughed out loud, thinking what could be her team mates' reaction if they happen to find out that she was on vacation with him. Surely Natsu they will overreact and jump into conclusions so she had to be careful with her mouth and hope that Laxus won't tell anyone about it either. Lucy jumped on her seat when she heard a knock on her door and as she walked to open it, her heart started to thump wildly, making her feel like she wanted to vomit again.

She felt weird.

Opening the door, Lucy's mouth hung open when he saw him, dressed in a white dress shirt and a black suit, a few buttons undone, black slacks and black shoes. It made him look fit, as if he came out straight from a magazine. His usual spiky hair was styled up messily that she almost wanted to drool at his sight.

"Nice dress, Blondie. Can I test the zipper?"

…and he had to blow it all away by speaking. She decided to ignore what he said and closed the door behind her.

"How very nice of you, such a gentleman." She shot back at him, sarcastically as he offered his bent arm to her. Lucy took it, wrapping her small hands at the crook of his arm. Even with the clothes, Lucy can feel the ripe muscles underneath.

They took the elevator as Laxus led her to the topmost floor of the hotel, above the casino. Lucy was mesmerized at how majestic the place was. Instead of a ceiling, a huge crystal domed up above them, giving them a full view of the night sky sparkling with stars and in the middle, hung a huge ice-blue chandelier that sparkled brightly. The waiters and waitresses were dressed up formally and everything was grand, not to mention the soft sound of the violin, playing on the background. Laxus chuckled at her reaction.

A waiter approached them.

"Do you have a reservation, sir, madam?" he asked with a bow as Laxus nodded at him.

"Under Mr. Dreyar."

The waiter looked for them at a moment and beamed. "Of course, ah, the mages of Fairy Tail. It's pleasure to have you both here. If you would please, follow me, I'll take you to your table."

As they followed the waiter, Lucy smirked at him. "Didn't know you had this side in you, Sparky."

"Be grateful, Blondie. It's not everyday you get to be treated like this by me."

Lucy only rolled her eyes at him. Their table, to Lucy's surprise was at the terrace, giving them a gorgeous view of the island, and the cool wind made her dress dance slightly, exposing her right thigh from the long slit. After the waiter took their order, he left them with a deep bow as the pair finally relaxed. If they were lovers, surely Lucy would enjoy everything but she knew how to be contended and she was actually grateful for him for letting her experience something so different as opposed to her life as a Fairy Tail mage.

In her own opinion, he was actually an 'okay' guy, nice when he wanted to be but of course, he would not be Laxus without his perverted snide remarks thrown here and there. Their food arrived along with a bottle of a red vintage wine and Lucy's tongue almost melted inside her mouth. Everything about this night was just so damn perfect and she kept her fingers crossed in hopes that she won't fuck this up.

Laxus asked her about her magic and she enthusiastically responded. Laxus noticed the glimmer in her eyes when she talked about her spirits and the strong bond that she has with them. He knew that she was an exceptional mage, even if she wasn't able to win during the GMG. He knew that he was attracted to her, not just physically, but how he was able to warm up to her in no time at all. She was kind, she had a big heart and was known for her loyalty, valuing family and putting her friends before her own self but as much as he wanted to pursue his feelings for her, he couldn't.

He had caused the guild to go through such sorrow, therefore hurting the girl alongside and he doubted if she would accept someone like him. His record wasn't even clean, sleeping with anyone just for his own selfish needs and Lucy deserved someone better. She could even be in love with Natsu or anyone from the guild and he did not want to ruin anything. Then, his heart was gripped with something that he had not felt before.

What was going to happen when they leave and go on their separate ways?

He felt so torn from making her wanting to stay beside him and just forgetting everything about her, about what had happened between them in such a short span of time. He knew that he could not ever have her and he had to settle with that. Lucy noticed the look on his face.

"Are you all right?"

Clearing his throat, he nodded before drinking some wine and noticed that the bottle was already empty. He called for the waiter to get a new one but the waiter returned empty handed.

"I'm very sorry to say this, sir, but that was our last bottle. If you want I could get you the island's specialty wine, exclusively shipped from the House of Groh and brewed by mages."

"What do you say, Blondie?"

Lucy only nodded with a smile, wondering what could be special about the wine. The waiter left and returned with a sapphire blue bottle. The wine was pure white in color and specs of gold floating around. The waiter poured them each and left and Laxus took his glass, swirling it around before inhaling the scent and took a sip.

"Not bad."

Lucy followed suit and agreed but she could not help but think that she had heard the word Groh from somewhere. It was sweet and full, pleasant to the mouth.

"That must have cost you." She told him.

"Nah. It's fine. It's my treat, remember? So don't sweat it out and just enjoy the night."

They talked some more, forgetting all their worries, as the alcohol crept up their system, filling them with euphoria. After paying their bill, they stayed for a while to finish the whole bottle but both were still feeling fine not until Lucy stood up, and wobbled slightly.

"Whoa." She said, feeling tingly all over as something shoot up straight to her head.

Laxus was feeling hot himself and checked the bottle, his eyes widened at the alcohol content and saw that it was laced with magic.

"Damn."

Lucy's giggles made his ears feel ticklish as they left the restaurant, heading out to the bar on the other side. The place was quite crowded but enough for the people to move around. Finding a table for two, the pair ordered some more drinks, talking and laughing. He had planned to leave tomorrow but the alcohol's effect made him think otherwise and it was taking over him then, it wasn't them talking anymore. It was the damned Groh wine and the gold specs in it.

"Hey, Blondie. Have you ever done something stupid?"

She cocked her head on the side, before grinning. "No. I don't think so," she said and then a flash of excitement sparkled in her eyes. "Why? How about you?"

He chuckled slightly at her childishness. "Yeah I think so. How about doing something stupid with me? You know, life is short and shit."

She laughed again. "If I say no will you hit me with lightning?"

"Probably."

"Well then, let's do something stupid!" she said, fired up in excitement, numb to the wild beating inside her chest but then, her face hell. "But what?"

Laxus thought for a moment, a joke snaked inside his mind as he laughed shaking his head. It sounded so absurd but hey, it was just a thought but little did he know that he actually said it out loud.

"Let's get married."

**TBC**

* * *

><p>Sorry if this wasn't good enough. I'm just having a difficult time bridging everything since like I said, this is where things pick up for the real plot to develop.<p>

If you have any suggestions or comment, please do PM me.

Thanks for everything guys (reading, reviewing, clicking the fave and follow buttons)!

Please don't forget to R&R.

Until then.


	6. Under The Stars

**DISCLAIMER: HIRO MASHIMA OWNS FAIRY TAIL**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER SIX<strong>

**UNDER THE STARS**

The door burst open and the sound of the rain leaked in along with the soft howling of the wind. Natsu, who was currently sitting at the table near the bar, craned his neck to see who arrived and seeing that it as only Erza, he banged the side of his head on the wooden table with a long sigh, deflated.

The other Fairy Tail mages were no better. It had been raining non-stop and nobody was in the mood to talk, fight or to take missions. Even Happy decided to take a day-off from wooing Charle and was silently munching on a fish beside Natsu and Wendy. Erza walked in, dripping wet from the rain, with her mountain-like luggage behind her.

"Welcome back, Erza." Mira greeted her with a smile, her elbows resting on the bar counter and her head on her hands.

"I'm back," Erza said and looked around. "What's going on?"

"It must be the rain."

Erza nodded and looked for her teammates but only found Natsu. She ordered a slice of Strawberry Cheesecake before walking towards his table and sat across him.

"Hi, Erza-san!" Wendy greeted the Requip mage who smiled back at her.

"Where's everyone?"

Natsu looked up and saw Erza who was drying her hair with a towel.

"Lushy's gone. Gray's gone too." He explained and went back to his moping.

"What do you mean gone?"

Happy turned to her and raised a paw. "Lushy went somewhere for vacation and Gray left for a solo mission." The cat explained started eating his second fish for the day.

"Is that so?" Erza said and started eating her cheesecake but then she noticed that something was wrong.

"Aye!"

Looking around, she saw Levy who was sitting nearby reading a book beside Gajeel. Lily was on his lap, sleeping.

"This rain, it feels weird. Has it been raining long?" Erza asked Natsu.

Natsu sat up and began sniffing the air. "Ah. You're right. It kinda smells like Juvia, " he said then frowned. "But I like Lucy's smell better."

"Mira!" Erza called out to the barmaid who approached right away.

"What is it?"

"Do you know where is Juvia?"

Mira thought for a moment and frowned. "Now that you mentioned it, I haven't seen her since the day before yesterday. Maybe you can ask some of the girls from Fairy Hills."

"Thanks, Mira. By the way, can I have a second helping?"

"Sure, Erza. Right away." The Demon Take Over mage left with her usual smile and Erza looked around. She went over to where Levy was, ignoring Gajeel who was glaring at her.

"Levy, can I ask you something?"

The Script mage paused for a moment and marked her book before closing it. "Yes, Erza?"

"Have you seen Juvia?"

The petite girl nodded her head. "I saw her yesterday at Fairy Hills. I bumped into her while I was on my way to the guild but that was it."

"Have you noticed anything about her? This rain… Natsu said it smells like Juvia."

"Oh, yeah, about that. She was kind of in a rush to go inside her room. A few mintues later, it started raining and it never stopped since then. I even got wet along the way. Maybe something did happen to her."

"You're right. Possibly," Erza said, her hand on her waist. "I'll talk to her later. Thanks, Levy."

"Anytime."

When Erza left, she went back to her book and thought about her encounter with Juvia yesterday. What could have possible upset the girl so bad? Having an idea, she looked around her.

"If you're looking for Gray he's not here." Gajeel said, his voice gruff.

"Hmmm. Maybe something happened. Maybe she got rejected again."

The Iron Dragon Slayer only grunted in response but Levy felt that it was more than that. Juvia had been rejected by Gray before but it did not faze the girl one bit. Then she thought of her best friend. No. Impossible. There was no way that Juvia would even know that Lucy likes him. As far as Levy knows, she was the only one who had been informed by Lucy about her attraction to Gray but even before that, Juvia had already declared the Celestial mage as her love rival. Gajeel, noticing the silence beside him, turned his head to the girl.

"Don't go poking your nose around if it ain't your business, Shorty." He said but Levy only rolled her eyes at him.

"Juvia's my friend too, Gajeel."

"Tch. Suit yourself."

* * *

><p>Talking cats, a war freak pyromaniac, an overly sweet tooth Requip mage, a stripper, a drunkard who never gets drunk, perverted old men, the list goes on and on.<p>

Her life before she joined the guild was anything but crazy but after that, things started to change and little by little, what can be considered as crazy became deduced into nothing more than just a typical everyday happening.

I mean, who blows up an entire town and just shrug it off like nothing happened? Who can eat an entire buffet table and still gets hungry afterwards? Who parties non-stop as if jewels just fall off a tree? Who fights just for the kick of it?

Who does?

Of course, Fairy Tail does.

But doing something stupid? Pfft.

Well, let's give it up for Lucy Heartfilia.

When she opened her eyes, she felt like she had slept forever. Yawning, she stretched her body, groaning slightly as she felt soreness in some of her parts. It was still dark so she closed her eyes again, trying to go back to sleep until she felt someone shift beside her. Her heart started thumping madly, her body turned stiff.

No freaking way.

Before panicking, she had to confirm her suspicions. She opened her eyes again and they turned huge at the sight. She was naked and by now, she could almost hear her pulse right beneath her ears. She turned and saw a muscular man, lying on his stomach.

Blond.

No freaking way.

The events of what happened earlier rushed inside her mind and she felt like hyperventilating. In fear, Lucy brought up her left hand and saw it.

The thing.

No way.

It was shiny. It was new. It was beautiful. It was made of white gold and it fit perfectly on her finger and she felt like crying.

So it was true.

She really did something stupid with him.

Lucy tried to calm herself down and thought if she should wake him up. No. Not yet. She wasn't ready. Lucy examined the ring on her finger and felt her blood run cold. She tugged it harder, pulled it out but the ring just won't slip off. Quiet as a mouse, she removed the sheets that covered her naked glory and left the bed, shivering when the cold hit her. In the darkness of the room, she took a nightgown that was draped on the chair and put it on before heading to the bathroom, shutting the door noiselessly behind her.

She switched on the light, her eyes squinting from the sudden brightness that flooded her eyes. She closed them for a bit and opened the slowly to adjust and looked at the mirror above the sink.

Damn.

She looked like a mess. She washed her face and examined her reflection in the mirror as her eyes nearly bulged out when she saw several red marks on her neck, on her chest and even… oh shit. Just what kind of animal that man was?

Oh. That's right.

He's a fucking dragon.

Under the running water, Lucy squirted a handful of liquid soap on her palms and lathered it all over her hand to loosen up the ring but… it just won't come off. She washed her hand and did the same thing all over again but no. The ring just won't slip. She had never felt so frustrated in her life. Giving up, she turned off the tap, dried her hands with a towel and sank on the bathroom floor, hugging her knees to her chest to keep herself from trembling.

So they really did it. They really did something stupid and got married and ended up consummating it. Was she really drunk? No. She was perfectly aware of what they did but why did they end up actually doing it?

Oh, wedded bliss.

Lucy stood up and started pacing back and forth inside the bathroom, thinking so hard what she was going to do now. She had no guts to face him. No way. But still, she had to do something. But what exactly?

Should she wake him up and say, 'hey, Laxus, so how's it going? Do you remember what happened last night? Me? Oh, I remember everything. We're married now, you see.'

How stupid can she get?

Yes. That's it. Lucy switched off the lights and went out, carefully opening the door so as not to wake up him up, knowing how well his sense of hearing was and carefully but quickly packed her things up. This has to be the fastest packing up that she ever did in her life and was glad that Laxus was sleeping like a log.

After dressing up, Lucy, seeing no time for her to take a shower, tied up her hair and checked if she left anything. She was lucky that they both ended up inside her room. She looked at the time and saw that it was only past 5 o'clock in the morning. With her luggage in tow, she tiptoed out of the room and slowly opened the door.

"Sorry, Laxus." She whispered and got out of the room, closing the door behind her. Lucy took the elevator and paid for her room and left.

Her mind in a mess, she made her way to the train station and checked the train schedule back to Magnolia. She had no other place to go anymore. She just wanted to go straight home, back to her apartment and just forget everything. After waiting for what felt like the longest 30 minutes of her life, she finally boarded the train in deep thought.

One more thing. If the marriage was legit then what was Laxus playing at? Lucy had no idea what was going on inside his head all through the night but she had never though him as someone who would do something like this, like getting married to her. What was his deal? For all she knows he could get any woman that he could possibly desire but why her? If this was a trap, then what's it got to do with her? Does he even like her? No, that was impossible. They have been together for only like, what? Three days, four?

And then there's the guild. What will Erza say to her? How will Mira react? What will Natsu do? And Levy, what will her best friend say? Lucy kept thinking that she was the only sane person in the guild, and yet now she felt like biting her own elbow for being careless and dumb.

Oh shit.

What will Gray think of her right now? And Master Makarov? Surely, the master will be disappointed with her. How could she face them right now? Lucy wished the ground would just open up and swallow her immediately but it was impossible. This whole thing was just so confusingly impossible but yet it's actually happening to her right now. She felt like screaming, she felt like punching herself, she felt like…

In a flash of golden light, Loke appeared across her, having sensed the turmoil of his master.

"Good morning, My Love." He said.

"Loke, you came out on your own again," Lucy sighed, not in he mood to deal with anyone right now. "What do you want?"

"Whenever you cross my mind I just felt like coming, My Love." He wiggled his eyebrows at her suggestively.

"Loke!"

"I felt something off so I decided to check it out. What happened? Are you hurt? Tell me, My Princess and I will save you."

Lucy snorted. "Yeah, right. It's your own fault, you know."

Loke raised an eyebrow behind his sunglasses. "What did I do, My Love? You know I would never do anything to hurt you or put you in trouble."

She shoved her left hand in front of his face. "Go figure."

"I'm sorry, My Love, but my mind is too slow since you keep on occupying it."

"Dammit, Loke! If you never left me that night then this never should have happened! If you came back right away then I would still be single and not married to a person I barely even know!"

Loke opened his mouth and closed it again.

Married?

"No way. You? Him? Married?"

"Yes. Yes. Yes. And yes! Congratulations, Loke. You got it all right!"

"Did he force you?"

Lucy shook her head.

"Did he ask you?"

Lucy nodded.

"Did you say yes?"

Lucy nodded.

"Are you pregnant?"

"Ye- what? No!" Lucy felt like weeding her hair out from her scalp.

"Were you both drunk?"

"Not quite."

"Okay, explain."

Lucy sighed before telling him everything, from the moment when they were still at Balsam Village up to the point where she ran away, which was just a couple of minutes ago, leaving the part where she invited him to her room one night and the part where they ahem, completed the marriage inside her hotel room.

"That fucking bastard. I'll kill him when I see him."

"No, Loke. It was partly my fault but that's not my problem for now. It's this ring! It won't come off."

Loke took her hand and examined the ring. He tried taking it off but it suddenly glowed and Loke drew his hand back hastily when he felt a light electric current all over his hand.

"What the hell was that?!" Lucy asked, eyes wide.

His eyebrows furrowed for a moment. Loke took a deep breath and then shook his head as Lucy looked at him. "Well?"

"If that is what I think it is, then, I'm sorry, Princess. I really can't help you."

"What do you mean you can't? There's got to be a way out of this!" She nearly screamed at him.

"Okay, calm down," he said as he tried to organize his thoughts. "You never told me, were you married in a Zentopian chapel? Because if you did, then it's impossible that the ring won't come off."

Lucy shook her head. "No. I don't know how it happened but when we left the hotel, Laxus brought me outside then we started to walk from the beach up a small cliff. I'm not sure how he did it but we just stood there, face to face and then I felt some sort of magical surge surrounding us. Then everything just started glowing bright and before I knew it we were inside a magical circle. I thought it was all just a joke when we were saying our vows because we kept on laughing then before I knew it a string of stars and lightning started to engulf us and I… I don't know Loke."

"Oh shit."

* * *

><p>He had been awake the whole time.<p>

From the moment that he felt her woke up beside him until she left with her scent slowly vanishing away in her tracks.

Laxus turned on his back and sighed, resting an arm on his forehead. He could not blame her for leaving. He had no reason to get mad at her and moreover he had no reason to stop her from leaving. Earlier he had been debating inside his mind if he should just come clean and let her know that he was awake but then, what will he say? Just what the hell came to him last night? When did he become so fucking ludicrous?

He looked at the ring on his finger with a sigh, feeling like shit. He could not be happy since there was reason for him to celebrate anything but even so last night had been so… he did not want to admit it but last night had been too perfect for him. He remembered her smiles, her girlish giggles. He remembered how her skin glowed against the lights and from the luminous moon. He remembered how she would look at him and the taste of her lips… the feel of her skin against his, how her body felt so perfect under his embrace and the sex. Oh, Sweet Mavis.

It must have been that fucking Groh wine and now they were both scared to face the consequences other their drastic decision and he had been the one who was foolish enough to start the whole mess and of all the stupid things that he could think of, it had to be getting married. Of course, at first he had meant it as a joke, he did not even know why that was the first thing that popped into his mind but he was even more surprised when Lucy said yes. Maybe she thought that he was kidding but then come to think of it, he actually was kidding. So how did it all become true?

He was not the only one who was stupid, the girl had played a part in the whole thing as well and they did everything without thinking logically or rationally. Instead, they let the whole spur of the moment take control over them and now what's going to happen? They are tied up now, as man and woman, as husband and wife and it was even more ridiculous than eloping and crazier than forced married. If it had been a shotgun wedding then maybe he could possibly deal with it but no, they had to go all 'stupid' and shit and got married without thinking.

Thinking back, Laxus had no idea if he had marked her but his gut was telling him that he did not but the marriage ritual that they had last night actually equals to that of a Dragon's Mating Rite. The stars and the heaven were their judges, the sea and the wind have heard their vows and the grasses, the flowers and the trees were their witnesses as they tied the knot as mages- not as mere humans. He remembered the unification and the merging of their magic; the co-mingling of his lightning and Lucy's bright sparks of stelliform. What they did was an olden ritual, rarely used in the modern era and what the hell occurred to him to do it?

He remembered reading about it from a book a long time ago but he had never actually witnessed one. He had asked his old man about it but Makarov was at that time too drunk to explain, skipping the whole ritual and just moved on to the part where the husband and wife fucked then Laxus, scarred, left the man who just kept on blabbering about it on his own. Thinking that maybe it was just some sort of a myth, he decided to do it last night, having memorized every detail... and then poof! The whole thing was genuine.

Heck, even Bisca and Alzack only had a normal wedding and he had to be such an asshole to do something that was out of the ordinary. Now, not only their powers are bounded together but their souls as well and there was no other way out of it. Even a Dragon's Mating Ritual had a way out if things became a little too complicated.

Tch.

He knew that he was attracted to her and just when he was about to drop the whole deal it was like there was this some sort of gravity that pulled him back towards her but claiming her to such an extent without even knowing if she felt the same way towards him was just plain moronic.

He felt like such an ass for depriving her of all the possibilities and the opportunities that may come her way. He deprived her of her future, of her own will to let the girl decide how and what she should do with her own life and what's left of him now?

Sure. They are now married but not quite.

"Fuck!" Laxus growled and punched the space on the bed beside him, the space where she used to be.

He stood up, took a shower, and went back to his room to look for an extra mission flyer on his bag. He found one, a simple mission stationed at the West Forest. It could do. She was not ready to face him and he was not ready to face her as well but his own decision made him feel so despicable.

He had to sort this out but how? His grandfather will kill him and for sure the old man will make him take responsibility for his idiotic actions but will Lucy be willing to put up with him? She bailed out on him, she ran away and it was already and indication that she wanted a way out of this mess, a way out from him.

But… but why did she say sorry? Was she sorry that she left? Hell, he did not even deserve an apology from her. It was supposed to be the other way around. He had to talk to her as soon as possible but not until he can think things through. The girl packed up right away after realizing what they did and left but where did she go? Did she go back home or what? What if she ran away, like, really run away?

Just when Laxus thought that he had her, well, he thought wrong.

* * *

><p>Makarov Dreyar was not impressed.<p>

He had been a guild master for god knows how long already but there was one thing that he can never get used to. Instead of just sitting downstairs to drink until he drops, he had to face this shit-load of paper works and complains from the Magic Council and from various town mayors because of his destructive underlings. He dropped the pen from his hand and leaned on his chair, glaring at his messy desk.

"Damn you, Gildarts!"

When they finally arrived back from Tenrou Island, he thought that he could finally retire, he thought that he could finally laze the rest of his days reading naughty magazines and drinking beer but then, Gildarts had to be a sly fox and ruin his plans. He had been the perfect candidate as a guild master yet the bastard fooled him and left away to chase after women and take year-long missions.

How he envied Yajima-san for just taking it easy now. After retiring, Yajima opened his own restaurant and Makarov had to see him dilly-dallying at the Grand Magic Games as a commentator. He felt like burning the papers in front of him, thinking that maybe it was such a good idea since they won the GMG anyways but no matter how much he would tell his brats to not overdo their missions, the more they destroy everything along the way.

His gaze fell on the small picture frame on his desk and smiled, seeing his young grandson. The boy was back from his exile now and had changed for the better so maybe it was time to teach him how to become a guild master. Maybe it was time for Laxus to take over his place but where the hell was he? When he arrived at the guild earlier, the Thunder God Tribe was there but his grandson was not around. Sighing, Makarov sorted out the papers on his desk until he found a small brown envelope that he had never seen before.

He took it out and examined it but there was no return address on the back. He felt a cold lump on his throat and he gulped, sensing that this was no good news. He suddenly thought of Natsu and his team once again and noted that maybe he should teach them a lesson. Makarov opened his drawer, took out a paper knife, and carefully opened the envelope.

Makarov removed the folded parchment from the envelope and opened it while his mind was plotting ways for torturing Natsu but what he had been reading as of the moment stopped all his thoughts and his wrinkled old hand trembled. Hastily, as if denying the fact that he had read it, he folded the parchment and placed it back inside the envelope. He opened his drawer and shoved it inside, as if it was a piece of evidence to a crime that he had committed.

Makarov jumped out from his seat but instead of landing on foot, he collapsed with his knees shaking. Breathing in and breathing out, he stood up again and dusted of his clothes.

Yes, it was a prank.

A childish, foolish prank.

He left his office, throat dry from what his eyes had seen, and paced back and forth on the balcony outside his office with his hands behind him.

To and fro, the old man walked, trying so hard not to stumble. Suddenly, from the first floor, Mira noticed him but kept quiet as her eyes followed him. Lisanna, noticing her sister's gaze, followed her line of sight, her eyes darting left and right at Makarov's movement. Happy noticed and followed. Charle, Wendy, Natsu and Erza. Like a domino effect, hundreds of eyes followed the old man as he paced on the balcony.

The guild turned quiet. Nobody was moving. Nobody dared to interrupt everything and Makarov, in deep thought, noticed nothing. Suddenly, the guild's master stopped on his tracks and faced the way downstairs. His eyebrows were knitted together, his face sullen and serious. Ever so slowly, he started to descend the stairs and each step echoed throughout the hall as eyes still follow suit.

One step, two steps, pairs of eyeballs moved slowly along, fixed on the old man's figure. When Makarov reached the middle, he stopped and crossed his arms only to uncross them again and placed them back behind him. He started walking down, slowly, as several gulps could be heard.

The mages, seeing the look on their master's face, kind of had an idea that he was not in a good mood and just then, without warning, the old man missed a step and stumbled downwards. No matter how funny it was, no one dared to laugh. As if it was nothing, Makarov stood up, cleared his throat and walked towards the bar.

"Ara, ara. Can I help you with anything, Master?" Mira asked, saving everyone from the tension.

Makarov only grunted in response and hoped up the bar table, crossing his arms in front of him. Mira took the liberty of giving him a mug of draft beer and placed it beside him. Hearing the thud, Makarov lifted up the mug and drowned the beer in one sitting. He slowly opened his eyes, stood up and fell down. Then, somebody started screaming.

**TBC**

* * *

><p>There you have it!<p>

Any thoughts? Suggestions? Comments?

Please don't forget to R&R.

I'll try to update as fast as I can but I won't promise anything since I'm also quite busy at the moment.

Thanks for reading, reviewing, and hitting up the fave and follow buttons!

See ya'll on the next chapter! :)


	7. My Only Sunshine

Guys, seriously. GraLu or LaLu? I already know who will end up with Lucy but your reviews and PM's are sorta breaking my heart. Some are rooting strongly for LaLu but I'm still getting requests to ship Lucy with Gray. So…?

**DISCLAIMER: HIRO MASHIMA OWNS FAIRY TAIL**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER SEVEN<strong>

**MY ONLY SUNSHINE**

When she was still living at the Heartfilia Estate and when her mother was still alive, Lucy's sheltered life did not bother her but along the way, reality set it and took her by surprise. Before she knew it, her mother died and in a way, her father died as well when he started to neglect her. Her lonely childhood life that was once filled with love soon became empty until eventually, Lucy decided to run away.

As a young girl, she had never thought much about love in a form of an intimate relationship with the opposite sex, having grown up without any exposure of any kind that is, until she met Gray. When her father had her kidnapped a long time ago just because he wanted her to get married to someone, Lucy started to feel the real weight of how it was to actually love someone without thinking about money and power.

Sometime she would find herself daydreaming, thinking about how it would feel like to have someone fall in love with you. Then, she would try to think of that one person, his smiles, his eyes, the way he moves, and his voice… she felt like such a hopeless romantic. At some point it was true for all girls, a point where we used to be believe in fairy tails and prince charming; a point where we used to believe in noble knights and brave soldiers but like before, reality always gets in the way.

Finally back at Magnolia, Lucky started to unpack her things and decided to do a little bit of cleaning. She dusted-off her furniture, watered her indoor plants and did he laundry to keep her mind occupied from thinking about things that would render her useless.

She had wanted to go to the guild to see her friends and laugh along with them but with her given situation, she wanted nothing more than just to stay inside her room and never leave until the problem was solved. When she got tired from her chores, Lucy collapsed on her bed and fell asleep, lulled by the sound of the steady falling rain. By the next morning, she woke up to see a pink-haired dragon slayer grinning in front of her.

"N-Natsu?"

The said man grinned childishly and tackled her into a hug until they were both lying on her bed with Natsu on the top. Feeling crushed b his weight, Lucy huffed and pushed him away forcefully but he only tighetened his grip around her and nuzzled his face at the crook of her neck, purring like a playful kitten.

"Lushy! Why did you leave me?!" He whined and finally sat up beside her with a pout.

"Sorry, Natsu. I just wanted some time for myself but don't worry. I'll make it up to you, 'kay?" Lucy felt the familiar warmth set in once again and she knew that she was glad to be back. The both of them decided to have breakfast at her apartment since it was still raining and Lucy did not feel like stepping out since it was a perfect bed weather and she almost wished that she could just lie in bed and wrap herself like a burrito but how could she now? Lucy prepared breakfast while Natsu sat on the chair by the dining table, humming a tune.

"Damn. If I only knew that it was raining cats and dogs in here I should have stayed in Akake for a few more days." Lucy glanced at the window and prepared the table.

"Eh? You went to Akane? You should have brought me along with you!"

Instead of getting annoyed, Lucy just smiled at his immaturity.

"Oh, by the way, why did you break in when you knew I was away?"

Mouth stuffed with food, Natsu grinned at her.

"What are you talking about, Lushy? I come here everyday you know!"

After eating breakfast, Lucy ordered Natsu to wash the dishes while she took a shower before they decided to head to the guild since the rain showed no signs of letting up. Lucy protested against it at first but Natsu kept on pestering her so in the end she gave in and they both left, sharing an umbrella. When they arrived at the guild, Mira spotted Lucy and waved out to her brightly.

"I'm back, Mira-san." Lucy greeted her as she sat on the stool by the counter.

"How was your trip, Lucy?" the older woman asked with a smile.

Without meeting her eyes, Lucy looked around. "It's fine. I missed you guys so I decided to come home early."

"Huwaaa. It's Lushy!" Happy flew towards her and hugged the Celestial Mage. "Where's my fish?"

"Sorry, Happy. I'll just treat you out later, okay?" Lucy patted his head.

Instead of frowning, Happy only nodded and settled himself on the counter. "Aye, sir!"

"Is Erza back? Where are the girls?" Lucy asked.

"Oh, they're at Fairy Hills, having a meeting. They should be back soon."

Cocking her head on the side, Lucy shrugged her shoulders and ordered Strawberry Milkshake from the barmaid before turning to Natsu.

"Did I miss anything?"

"Not really. Like I said, it's been really boring without you. I wanted to go out for a mission but you weren't here and Erza only arrived yesterday."

"Eh? How about Gray?"

"Don't know, don't care." Natsu said smugly and started twirling around the stool.

Lucy sighed and turned her back on the bar to face the hall. Spotting Cana, she waved out to her with a smile.

"Ah, Lucy, you're back! Let's drink!" The brunette called out to her as she raised a bottle of wine.

Lucy shook her head, remembering the memories that were brought by the sight of the bottle. It was still early but somehow Lucy wanted a drink and have fun so as to keep a leash on her thoughts. Looking around, she saw Evergreen with Elfman who were both arguing about something at the other side of the hall and smiled at how cute they looked.

"Here you go, Lucy." Mira placed her milkshake on the counter top and went back to work, wiping the newly washed glasses with a dry, clean cloth.

"Thanks, Mira-san." Lucy turned her back on the hall and started sipping her milkshake. Even if she had only been gone for a short time, she missed the place and everything about it. Looking around, she was hoping to see Levy so she could talk to the girl but the Solid Script mage was not around and she figured that the guild hall might not be an appropriate place to tell her about it.

At first Lucy had thought of telling Erza about what happened but knowing her, she'll go all Titania and Lucy wanted to avoid that. It's not that Lucy did not trust her but she figured that she had to tell Levy first so they can both decide what to do later on.

An hour passed by and Lucy finally decided to join Cana, leaving Natsu with Happy and Romeo. Suddenly, the guild door opened and Gray came in, wearing only his boxers and dripping wet from the rain. Seeing his rival, Natsu perked up with his fists on fire and asked for a fight but Gray brushed him off and went directly to Mira.

"Gray, you know you'll catch a cold with that. Why don't you go home and take a hot bath first?" Mira told him, acting like a mother.

"Nah, it's fine." He leaned his elbow on the counter and looked around. "Oh, so Lucy's finally back?"

Mira nodded her head. "Yeah, she arrived earlier. By the way, Gray, Erza's been looking for you. She wanted to go out on a mission."

The Ice Make mage raised an eyebrow. "Where is she then?"

"She's still at Fairy Hills. The girls are having a meeting."

Grayed clicked his tongue and nodded when Cana called out to him. He went over to the girls and sat on the chair across Lucy.

"Eh, what's this? Cana, you're becoming such a bad influence to Lucy."

"Whatever. The girl wants to drink so let her be. Nothing wrong with that."

Gray noticed that Lucy was looking at him but when he looked up, she quickly averted her eyes away and started fidgeting on her seat. "How did your trip go?"

"F-fine, I guess." She said, still not meeting his eyes.

"It's boring here. I just finished a mission but since you're back we should probably take a job."

Lucy blushed, her mind drifting on and off. "Uh, sure."

"So, Lucy, tell me about your trip," Cana asked her. "Did you by any chance found some hot guys? I bet you did."

Lucy suddenly felt uncomfortable. 'Yes I did. In fact, I was with Laxus.' She thought. She could not help but be wary about everything now as she tried so hard to keep her left hand away from sight. While she was still on the train, she had asked Loke to look for a way to remove the wedding band on her finger but the flirty beast sure was taking his precious time. Even if he told that her that it was impossible but Lucy did not want to just give up right away. Sooner or later, she knew that she had to face Laxus. She had to talk to him before the news would leak out.

"Dammit, when is he coming back?" She muttered under her breath, hoping that nobody heard her.

"Did you say something, Lucy?" Gray asked. He had noticed something different about her and instantly felt that something was wrong.

Lucy shook her head with a shaky laugh and changed the topic.

* * *

><p>In the sitting room of the Fairy Hills, silence filled the air and the only sound that could be heard was the tip-tapping of the rain falling down against the roof. The tension suddenly broke when Erza finally arrived and sat on the couch beside Levy, facing both Juvia and Lisanna.<p>

It took a long while before Erza had finally convinced Juvia to leave her room earlier and from that alone, the redhead knew that Juvia was the cause of the rain. She noticed that the Rain Woman looked so glum and her eyes were red and puffy. She sighed inwardly, trying to find a way to deal with this. If only Mira or Lucy were here then she would gladly give them the floor.

"Juvia."

Erza's voice startled the blue-haired girl but she looked at her. "Y-yes?"

"Let's not make this difficult so I'll go straight to the point," Erza started. "You know that in Fairy Tail we are a family, right?"

Juvia nodded and Erza continued.

"So you know what it means right? To be a family? To be a part of Fairy Tail? We help each other, we want each other to be happy, we make each other stronger."

"Juvia knows, Erza-san."

"Now then, tell me, is there anything wrong? I know his rain isn't a natural phenomenon. It's been going on for hours and hours."

The Water mage bowed her head. "Juvia is sorry." She whispered, but loud enough for them to hear.

Erza turned to Levy, hinting that she wanted some help. Taking a deep breath, the Solid Script mage nodded and looked at the girl across her.

"What's the problem, Juvia? You can tell us and we promise we'll help you in any way that we can."

This time, Juvia game them a small smile and shook her head. "Juvia is thankful for your offer but Juvia is afraid to say that there's nothing you can do to help. Juvia will make the rain stop. Juvia will be fine."

From the looks of it, she wasn't. Her lips started trembling and Lisanna comforted her by rubbing her back gently.

"Can you at least tell us your problem? We'll be here to listen, Juvia. We're not going to judge you or anything. We're your friends and friends help each other." Lisanna told her.

"Juvia knows but she is sorry that she can't tell you. Maybe someday but just not now. Juvia needs time to think."

True enough, the rain faltered and stopped in a drizzle but the three girls were still not satisfied with this. Levy thought things over, biting her lip to stop the words from spilling out since she did not want to pry but it was the only way now. She felt bad about Juvia.

"Juvia, can I ask you something? Levy asked silently as the Water mage looked at her and nodded.

"Did anything happen between you and Gray? I don't mean to pry but he's the only one who can get through to you so I concluded that maybe something must have happened. We all know how much you love Gray."

"Did he hurt you, Juvia?" Erza asked. "If he did then tell me and I will gladly cut his throat for you

In panic, Juvia hastily shook her head. "No. No. Please don't hurt Gray-sama. It's just that Juvia finally decided to stop. I know that Gray-sama will never learn to love Juvia and Juvia thinks that maybe it's time for her to move on."

After hearing her confession, the girls were torn. Should they be happy for her or not? The three eyed each other, trying to see who will say next but since Levy had rolled the dice, she cleared her throat and forced a smile.

"That's a surprise, Juvia. Could it possibly because of Lyon?"

With a voice full of determination, Juvia looked at her straight in the eye that Levy almost flinched under her gaze.

"No. Juvia knows that Gray-sama will never return her love because Gray-sama is in love with someone else."

"Who?" Lisanna asked her, shocked. Sure, Gray was not dense as Natsu but she really was not expecting to hear that.

"Juvia thinks that it should be obvious by now. No," he shook her head and paused momentarily. "It was pretty much obvious ever since then."

After that one night with Gray, everything clicked inside Juvia's head. She had been stalking him since the moment that she first saw him, since he defeated her yet how could she miss something that was so blindingly obvious?

The stolen glances, the way that he would smile at Lucy and how he would treat her. It was crystal clear but it looks like Gray was not even fully aware of his fascination for the Celestial mage but now the only question was how? How did Gray realize it? What was the trigger that made him open his eyes?

* * *

><p>A couple of days passed by idly and Team Natsu was finally able to go out for a mission at Hargeon since the rain had finally stopped. It had been an easy mission and Lucy was glad that Natsu wasn't able to destroy that much although a good amount of 15% was deducted from their reward. Every now and then, Lucy would be gripped by paranoia and nightmares but other than that, things were pretty much as normal as they can be.<p>

On their train ride back to Magnolia, Lucy sat beside a sick Natsu who kept on groaning and covering his mouth. Erza had offered to knock him out but before she could, he lay down on the bench and used Lucy's lap as a pillow, making her slightly jump in surprise since she was preoccupied with her own thoughts.

"Lushyyyy…" He groaned.

The Stellar mage smiled, taking it as a signal to do what she usually does to him. Gently, she ran her fingers on his hair, making him relax under her touch as he breathed out a sight of relief, his eyes dropping.

From across them, Gray leaned his elbow on the window and looked outside, cursing Natsu. Don't get him wrong, he was not jealous but he was envious at how close they both were. After Lucy arrived, Gray noticed that she had been avoiding him to the point that she seemed almost shy and nervous whenever she was around him. He had wanted to confront her about it but the girl had managed to keep her distance away from him. Lucy started humming a tune and he felt himself getting drowsy beside Erza who was sitting upright, arms crossed on her chest with her eyes closed, a soft smile lingering on her lips.

Lucy was tired but who was she to deny Natsu's comfort? When she thought that he was already sleeping, Lucy removed her hand away from his salmon locks but he caught her hand. She was about to retaliate when she saw that his gaze was fixed on the white gold band around her finger and Lucy felt her blood drain. Inside her head, she started chanting.

'Relax. Act normal. Natsu is stupid. Yes. Natsu is stupid.' She repeated it over and over again but was distracted when he started to speak.

"Nice ring, Lucy. Where did you get this?" The Fire Dragon Slayer asked her with a weak voice.

"I've always had it. I found it on my jewelry box earlier this morning so I decided to wear it." She said, carefully choosing her words while Erza cracked an eye open, listening to the conversation.

"You're a single woman, Lucy. Why are you wearing it on your ring finger? You might confuse people."

Lucy swore her heart started to hammer wildly against her chest. Nothing really gets past Erza with her sharpness. Trying to keep calm, Lucy forced a smile on her face.

"Uh, well, it's because it won't fit on my other fingers. It's either too tight or too loose." Lucy said, trying hard not to get tongue-tied. If she only knew what to do or what to say, they surely she'll be able to dodge these kinds of questions flawlessly but given the circumstance, it was so hard for her to think an excuse under the pressure.

Seeing that Erza was satisfied with her explanation, Lucy let out a sigh and observed her as she went back to sleep. Lucy remembered that Natsu was still holding her hand and so she quickly drew it away from his grip.

"Go to sleep, Natsu." Lucy told him as Happy snuggled closer to his partner's belly for warmth.

From the corners of his eye, Gray eyed Lucy, racking his brains up as to why she looked like she was on pins and needles. He did not know why but he wanted to get to the bottom of it especially now that he was sure that she was indeed avoiding him.

When Lucy felt that someone was looking at her, she looked up met a pair of cold dark eyes. They locked eyes for a few seconds that felt like forever until Lucy looked away, her face heating up. Her heart was beating not because she was nervous but it was because Gray was looking at her and his gaze felt like he was looking right through her that she suddenly started to feel self-conscious. She asked herself if she was being too obvious but she would not know of it, would she? Sighing, she regretted not being able talk to Levy before she left for the mission. Lucy closed her eyes and fell asleep with a frown on her face.

Gray was in a fog as he watched her sleeping. He had been picking up mission after mission to vent out the storm inside him but he knew that he was getting tired physically and felt that he could no longer keep up with his emotions. After his mission with Juvia, and after realizing what he had done to her, he started feeling like shit not because he felt guilty for sleeping with Juvia but because he couldn't understand what was happening to him.

He was still not convinced that he was attracted to the blond across him but what had happened with Juvia proved that it doesn't look that way. He had slept with Juvia while thinking of another person. He had slept with Juvia, thinking that she was Lucy. He had never intended for it to happen that way but when Juvia asked him all that he could think of was that one night with Lucy and before he knew it, he could no longer refuse. He had been frustrated as hell yet he did not want to admit it to himself and he hated the fact that he could not control what was going through his head.

Was he in denial? Maybe. Probably. Gray continued to watch her silently since nobody was looking. He looked at her slightly parted lips and remembered how they tasted like, how they felt like against his. He looked at the pink tinge on her cheeks and silky blond locks that fell in front of her closed eyes. He knew that he was beautiful; the girl was full of selflessness and her warm smiles seemed to melt the ice that filled his heart. If Juvia can melt the ice with water, Lucy, on the other hand, was the epitome of the sunshine itself. He knew that he mustn't. He couldn't. Deep in his heart, he knew that he would only lose her because in the end people would always leave him. His family, Ur… and even Ultear.

He just would not risk it no matter what.

* * *

><p>When he stormed inside the guild, the ever-loyal Thunder God Tribe greeted him. Freed almost cried and clung himself to Laxus as he groused out why Laxus had been gone for so long without them.<p>

"I was away on a mission, Freed. You know that." He explained to him as he asked Mira to bring him something to drink. Evergreen joined them on the table and greeted Laxus.

When his drink arrived, Laxus leaned his back against the stool and scoured the guild with his eyes, looking for a certain blond mage and frowned when he noticed that the rest of her team was away, probably out on a mission. After he left Akane to head out for a mission, he had been thinking of her non-stop and every single night was a total torture for him. His dreams about her were vivid and the sound of her laughter that had been registered inside his mind haunted him while he was sleeping. And oh god, her moans made him ache every night in his dreams, waking him up with a cold sweat all over his body, feeling the need to purge out the desire.

He had thought that bedding her for a single night was enough but then it dawned on him that he wanted more of her. He wanted to have her all to himself, to relish her over and over and over again. Once was not just enough. At first he regarded his attraction to her as nothing but purely physical because he knew that by far, she was the first person who had left him satisfied yet at the same time she had left him craving for more. He knew that he must have her again and hold her in his arms; he wanted to be the only person who could protect her, the person that will give him a reason to change.

But then he remembered all the time that they had been together and he thought how it would feel if it had dragged on. Just the two of them, sleeping together and waking up, eating meals together while talking and laughing. He thought of her being by his side, holding his hand and looking at him as if he was the only man in the world, kissing him as if her heart was meant to be his but he had to fuck it all up.

"Laxus-sama? Are you listening?" Freed's voice cut in as he looked at Laxus with worry. He knew that the Lightning Dragon Slayer was not the sort of person who would just sit with his head up in the clouds.

"Uh. Yeah. Go on." Laxus grunted, waving his hand at his direction but before Freed could speak, the loud opening of the door interrupted him.

"We're back!" Natsu announced loudly with his trademark grin as the mages around greeted him and his team with warm smiles.

Laxus felt his breath hitch when his gaze fell on the smiling Celestial Mage walking beside Titania who also had a smile on her face. So she was really out on a mission with her team but arriving at the guild just a few minutes after he did sure took him off guard. Was he ready? Was he ready to face her?

As Team Natsu settled themselves on the table with Happy flying above them with a drool on the side of his mouth, Natsu hurriedly asked for food and Erza went up to the second floor to report their mission as a success. Laxus continued to observe the two mages who were left. Lucy went to the bar but suddenly; Gray stood up and stopped her as he grabbed her wrist. Laxus growled at the scene, wishing that he were a little bit closer to them so he could hear what they were talking about. He noticed that uneasiness on Lucy's face as Gray started talking to her with a serious face. Laxus could not help but wonder what could they possibly be talking. After a while, he saw Lucy shaking her head at him as she tried to break free from his grip.

Bickslow noticed Laxus and followed his eyes. He snickered and watched the Cosplayer who was talking to Gray with interest but he was even more piqued as to why Laxus was looking at them.

"Heh," the Seith mage said beside him and nudged him on the side. "How about a bet?"

"A bet! A bet!" His hovering babies chorused around.

The dragon slayer raised an eyebrow as he turned his head in his direction.

"What?"

"Give it a week or two and they'll be a couple."

"What are you talking about?" Laxus growled lowly and realized that Bickslow was looking at Lucy and Gray.

"I'm talking about Cosplayer and Gray."

Ooops. Bickslow stepped into a landmine. Laxus glared at him and clenched his fist, trying to calm himself down. "They're just talking."

"Sure," the Seith mage reply, amused. "But everyone must have realized the tension that has been going on between the two of them. Gray's a pussy, if you ask me. He's too damn slow. If it was me, heck, I wouldn't waste a single minute to claim that kind of body."

Gray? And Lucy? _His _Lucy?

"Go fuck yourself." Laxus snarled at the perverted look on Bickslow's face.

Bickslow decided to keep his mouth shut when Laxus covered his ears with his Sound Pod. He had never thought that Bickslow had noticed such a thing but hanging around the guild all day makes you pick up on the going-ons and subtle things like that. He did not want to believe what he just saw; he did not want to believe what he just said. He knew that Lucy was his but in a fucked up kind of way and it made him ponder if he could ever have her heart. Closing his eyes, Laxus crossed his arms and listened to the music, drowning out the sound around him.

Erza stepped out from Makarov's office and headed downstairs to where her team mates were. As expected, Natsu was busy eating chicken wings on fire while Happy was busy munching a fish but Lucy and Gray were just there, sitting across each other, edgy and silent.

"Gray."

"What?" The Ice Make mage hissed, looking at her.

Erza pointed to his body. "Your clothes."

"Fuck!"

The Ice Make mage looked around him, trying to find his shirt and spotted it near the door. He left and retrieved his clothing as Erza sat across Lucy, taking Gray's place. Titania noticed the sullen look on her face as Lucy's eyes were looking at nowhere in particular.

"Are you all right, Lucy?"

"Uh, yeah. I'm just tired."

Erza nodded. "You should go home then."

Forcing a smile on her face, Lucy looked up and accidentally caught a glimpse of a lightning scar and a spiky bond hair. She froze on her seat and promptly felt her stomach flip.

"Lucy? You don't look well. You're sweating. Are you sure you're feeling fine?" Erza asked at her in worry but Lucy nodded as she stood up with shaky legs as Gray arrived and sat beside Erza.

"I think I should just go home."

From the second floor, the door of Makarov's office opened and he emerged with a sombre look on his face. He glanced around, his eyes scanning the faces of the mages present. He walked towards the center of the balcony and hopped on the bannister, clearing his throat loudly. All the mages inside the hall looked up to him, ears ready to hear what he has to say. With a voice booming like thunder, the master spoke.

"LAXUS AND LUCY! IN MY OFFICE. NOW!"

**TBC**

* * *

><p>Tehee!<p>

So what do you guys think?

Don't forget to R&R!

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR REVIEWS AND ALL.

Until then!


	8. Our Biggest Mistakes

Uhm. I NEED A BETA...? Anyone?

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER EIGHT<strong>

**OUR BIGGEST MISTAKES**

Levy and Erza left Fairy Hills after talking to Juvia while Lisanna offered to stay with at Fairy Hills but before they left, the Rain Woman asked them not to tell anyone about their talk and the three girls agreed to keep it confidential. By the next morning, the news about Lucy's arrival reached Juvia and the Water mage asked Lisanna if she could accompany her on a mission.

Before they left, Lisanna relayed Juvia's request to her sister who agreed with the plan, seeing that Juvia needed some breather. The two of them took off a few hours after Erza left with the rest of her team. Juvia and Lisanna's mission had been easy since they only took out several amateur bandits who were ambushing travellers and merchants along the way to Clover Town and it only took them half a day. Instead of heading back home directly, Lisanna suggested that they should stay for a while to relax and take it easy because she knew that Juvia was not ready to go back.

Juvia's vague confession had left Lisanna perplexed. She tried to puzzle up the pieces together while thinking of the girls at Fairy Tail one by one in an imaginary list. Could it be Erza? Lisanna almost laughed at her first choice. Everyone knew that the girl was in love with Jellal and that they have been secretly seeing each other since the guy was basically on the run from the Magic Council. Like Natsu, Gray was only some sort of a younger brother for Erza so she's out of the picture just like her sister. Mira was too old for him and she's already dating Freed even if the couple wasn't too obvious that they're together.

Next was Levy but there's Gajeel blocking the way and Evergreen was already her brother's boyfriend and from what she heard they were actually planning to get married sooner or later. Laki? The mage wasn't always around the guild and she had never even seen them talk, not even once. There was no way that it was Kinana and it's even more impossible if it's Wendy. Lisanna cringed at the mental image of Wendy and Gray. It's just so wrong no matter how you look at it.

Could it possibly be Cana? There's a big chance for that. She was close to Gray and Lisanna would sometimes see them together at the guild, hanging out over drinks. Cana was only a few years older than Gray but she was the third girl that's… wait. If Erza was the first, then Lucy comes next.

The Celestial mage was his team mate and from what she had seen, both of them were close too but connection can't be compare to that of Lucy and Natsu. Even in Edolas, Lucy and Natsu were inseparable and it didn't surprise her when she saw that it was the same when she finally came back in Earthland. Before she could go at lengths and jump into conclusions, Lisanna decided that it was best to just ask Juvia instead of assuming things on her own. It's just like what people usually say. It's best to get it straight from the horse's mouth. Although Lisanna did not want to pry and butt in when it was none of her business, the intention of helping Juvia was strong. Erza had been right when she said that they were a family and they should help each other.

Even since their talk, Lisanna could only see how hurt Juvia was, from whatever happened, and she wanted to get things better for her. Before their time runs out, she knew that she had to ask Juvia. They were set to leave Clover Town tomorrow and it would be hard for the two of them to talk privately once they're back at the guild.

It was now or never.

After dinner that night, the two of them decided to take a stroll around the park. The place was empty save for the two of them and the occasional passers-by. They sat at the steps of a pavilion, facing the pond that was surrounded by stones. Lisanna leaned her back at the column and faced Juvia who gazed forlornly at the small pond that reflected the clear night sky and the stars.

"The stars are beautiful tonight aren't they, Lisanna-san?" Juvia said, looking at their twinkling reflection on the surface of the pond.

Lisanna hung her head and looked directly above her and couldn't agree more to that she said. Indeed the stars were beautiful, glimmering like diamonds bedazzling the dullness of the dark sky.

"Yeah, they sure are." Lisanna said and faced the pond again.

"They're just like Lucy-san, so beautiful that you can't take your eyes off her and during the darkest of times, she still shines brightly like a glimmer of hope that warms the heart yet she's so far away that you can't reach her… Juvia can't reach her."

Why did she bring up Lucy all of a sudden? Lisanna didn't have to think twice about where this was heading. If she had been right with her earlier conclusion, she still had to ask.

"Juvia?"

"Hmm?"

"It's Lucy, isn't it?" Lisanna paused for a moment, gauging the look on Juvia's face. "Is she the one that Gray…?"

The Rain Woman looked at her and nodded, a melancholic smile adorning her pale face that shone under the moonlight.

"Juvia had thought about it a lot and Juvia can never find it in herself to hate Lucy-san. Somehow, Juvia understands why Gray-sama love her. She's kind, she's forgiving and she's beautiful."

"Is that why you've been calling her your love rival? But how did you figure it out? Did Gray tell you himself?"

"Did you know, Lisanna-san, that Juvia joined Fairy Tail because of Gray-sama? When Juvia first saw him Juvia fell in love with him right away but Juvia heard him say that he would give up his life to protect Lucy-san and Juvia got a little bit jealous but Lucy-san was kind and she assured Juvia that she was not a love rival. Of course, Juvia believed Lucy-san but when Juvia really thought about it, Gray-sama did not mind whenever Juvia would call Lucy-san her love rival. Juvia had been stalking Gray-sama and that's when Juvia started to notice little things. Juvia can see it in Gray-sama's eyes how much he adores Lucy-san. His feelings for her goes way beyond friendship and that's how Juvia understood."

"Is that so?"

Juvia nodded but it looks like she wasn't finished yet so Lisanna decided to let her continue. It wasn't hard to take in but coming from Juvia, Lisanna felt like she didn't want to hear anymore knowing that she's hurting at the moment.

"Gray-sama had rejected Juvia's love for him but still, Juvia didn't want to give up. Gray-sama did not tell Juvia directly but something bad happened and Juvia got hurt so Juvia finally decided that maybe it was time for Juvia to move on and be happy for Gray-sama and Lucy-san.

"But Juvia, have you ever thought about Lucy at all? Does she love Gray? Did it ever occur to you that she could be in love with someone else? Like Natsu, perhaps. The two of them are always together and he even sleeps at he apartment."

"Yes. Juvia did but Juvia is sure that Lucy-san feels the same way but they're both in denial of their feelings for each other."

How can Juvia speak as if she was perfectly sure? No matter how Lisanna would look at it, there was no way that Juvia was lying or bluffing. Maybe Gray and Lucy were secretly dating? Shaking her head, she turned to Juvia.

"How did you know exactly?"

Juvia laughed but her laugh sounded hollow and tears started to cloud her eyes. Lisanna bit her lip, unsure if she asked the right question or if she was pushing the girl too much. The tears in her eyes continued to flow down but Juvia remained steady and strong as if she had finally stepped down, ready to set her own self free.

"That's simple. Lucy-san was all that Gray-sama could think of even when he was with Juvia. Lisanna-san, Juvia wants to be honest with you that's why Juvia is telling you everything. Juvia found out about it because when Gray-sama slept with Juvia, he kept on calling Lucy-san's name over and over again."

Lisanna was stunned upon hearing everything and Juvia immediately launched herself to her as she sobbed. She didn't know what she could possibly say to comfort her but instead of words, Lisanna welcomed her embraced as she patted Juvia's head. Juvia tightened her grip on Lisanna, drenching her clothes wet with her tears. When Juvia finally calmed down, she broke away from the hug and wiped her tears away with a downhearted smile.

"Do you understand it now, Lisanna-san? Gray-sama will never love Juvia."

* * *

><p>After he made his announcement, Makarov jumped off the bannister and went back to his office, slamming the door shut behind him. Lucy felt her knees go weak when she stood up, sensing that all eyes were on her, boring holes all over her body. The silence sounded deafening inside her ears that she did not even hear herself gulp.<p>

On the other side, Laxus stood up, his face stoic, and without looking at her, he stormed off towards his grandfather's office, ignoring the questioning looks of the people around him.

"Lucy." Erza whispered to her, now more worried than ever.

"I'll be fine, Erza." She croaked out and took a deep breath, following after the Lightning Dragon Slayer.

The whole trip towards Makarov's office felt like forever. It was just like that time back then when she was waiting for the train to go home. Lucy wasn't mentally prepared and she was scared at the possibility that Makarov may have found out about her marriage to Laxus since that could be the only reason why he called them together. While she climbed up the stairs, Loke appeared beside her.

"Princess."

"Not now, Loke."

"But-"

"Please just go-. No. On second thought, go talk to Erza, tell her about what happened and make sure nobody else finds out. Please, Loke."

"Understood, Princess."

Everyone observed the exchange between them wondering what was going on. Loke nodded and went straight to Erza as Lucy began her funeral march towards Makarov's office. Mira broke off the silence and once again, the guild returned back to it's normal state, quietly talking in groups about what just happened while some decided to shrug it off, knowing that they will know about it soon enough.

Natsu blocked Loke along the way and asked for a fight but before he could fire up his fist, Loke sent him flying to the wall as his soul escaped from his mouth. Loke cracked his knuckles and headed straight to Erza.

"Yo, Loke." Gray greeted his old friend who nodded.

"Sorry, Gray but I have to talk to Erza."

Titania looked at him for more explanation.

"Not here, I'm afraid. We have to go somewhere else."

"Is this about Lucy?"

When Loke nodded, Erza immediately stood up and led him outside the guild to Lucy's apartment. No one would be there for now and it the place was private, away from prying eyes and eavesdropper. With the spare key that Lucy gave her, Erza opened the door to her apartment and they settled down on the couch in the living room.

"Before I start, I want you to remain calm and listen to what I have to say." Loke said, his face serious.

"I understand."

* * *

><p><strong>LUCY P.O.V<strong>

After Loke left me on the stairs, I resumed my death funeral march. I'm not really sure why Master called me but I have a feeling that it had something to do with what happened at Akane. I mean, why would he call Laxus along? The only thing that's puzzling me now is that how did Master Makarov found out?

I didn't tell anyone, I didn't tell Levy. The only people who were aware of my marriage to Laxus was well, Laxus himself and Loke, and I don't think that Loke would ever betray me.

The trip to master's office felt like forever because my knees were shaking and I was deliberately trying to lengthen the time. When I arrived from my trip, I dilly-dallied too much when I should have spent the time trying to figure out what to do. I know I did, but it was half-assed and in the end I felt like a snake that was going after my own tail in circles. In the end, I wasn't able to come up with anything.

Then it occurred to me that maybe I made the wrong decision of leaving Akane without ever having to talk to Laxus but thinking back, it was the only thing that I could do. When I woke that day, I wasn't ready to face him. I was still down, drowning deeply with the effects of the stupidity that we had done together and now it looks like that the bell has finally rang.

When I finally reached the door, I turned the knob and went inside, closing it gently behind me. The room was messy as usual. There were papers scattered about here and there but I don't have the time to take note of the surroundings. I turned my head and noticed Laxus leaning his back against the wall. He was looking at me with stormy eyes that I felt all the thoughts inside my head disappear.

The guild master cleared his throat, breaching through the cloud that I was in. He was sitting at the top of his deck with his arms and legs crossed while I remained standing just behind the door, frozen in spot.

"Take a seat, Lucy."

As instructed, I walked closer to them and sat on the empty wooden chair in front of his desk. I felt like I was inside my father's office once again, being scolded because I did something wrong. For a moment I didn't know where to look so I fixed my gaze on the hem of my skirt, my fingers locked together to keep them from shaking. Makarov cleared his throat again, loudly this time, and took out an envelope from his pocket. Instead of opening it, he handed it to me.

"Open it."

A letter?

I thought better than to ask and nodded my head as I opened the envelope. Inside it was a letter. I turned to master and he nodded his head as a reply to my silent question. I took out the dirty white colored piece of paper and unfolded it. Gold letters greeted my eyes and when I started reading the contents of the letter, my literacy skills flew out of the window. I read it again and again but I was too shocked to say anything. I looked at the master and opened my mouth, trying to find the words but they ran away.

"Laxus, your turn."

I heard the dragon slayer's footsteps as he walked towards me and snatched the letter from my hands but I was unable to move. My hands remained in front of me, frozen, as if I was still holding the paper. After reading the contents, I heard Laxus hiss out a curse under his breath as he held the paper, the proof of our marriage.

"Judging from your reactions I take it that the both of you had never intended for this to happen. Am I right?"

I didn't say anything and neither did Laxus. I couldn't bear to look at the old man in front of me, knowing full well that I have caused him trouble once again but I knew that I had to. I had to look at him and so I did.

"What were you both thinking?"

Still, neither of us said anything. Guilt filled my heart as I saw the disappointment in the old man's eyes. Makarov sighed and rubbed his temples.

"I don't know if I should be happy or mad at what you have done. I don't know why you did it but do you even realize the gravity of your actions?"

I only nodded my head, biting my lips as I felt the usual ache in my chest when I'm about to cry.

"Who performed the lost ritual?"

Lost ritual? Before I could process what he said, Laxus spoke up, admitting that he did it.

"Where did you even learn how to do this? I know you're an idiot but to this extent?"

"Look, Pops, I can ex-"

His grandfather raised his hand, silencing him.

"You know what, it doesn't matter anymore. What's done is done but I'm very disappointed in the both of you. Lucy, why didn't you inform me when you arrived?"

"I'm sorry," was all that I could say. Why didn't I? It was an honest mistake in my part but I was not in the position to neither defend nor justify myself. I had thought that I could hide this, if not forever then at least for a long time. What was I thinking in the first place? Do I really think that I can hide this? Fairy Tail has full of sharp and intuitive people and even the dense Natsu can hit the bull's eye sometimes.

"I know that you're both wondering why I have this. Like your marriage, this certificate is, in a word, magical. As soon as the bond between the two of you was formed, this paper materialized and made its way to me because Laxus is my grandson and I am currently his guardian. It's the same with you, Lucy. You belong in Fairy Tail, this is your family and you are under my care. As the guild master, I am your acting guardian."

Laxus grunted beside me. "Is there any way out of this?"

His words made a tick appear on master's forehead. He took back the paper his Laxus and unfolded it before setting the whole thing it on fire; making my eyes go wide at the sight but little did I know that I was in for a surprise. As soon as the fire died out, the certificate was still there, unscathed, and my mouth hung open.

"Is this enough to make you realize what you're dealing with?" The master spat at Laxus.

"It was a mistake." I blurted all of a sudden and after hearing my own words, I bit my tongue in shame.

"A mistake?!" Laxus turned to me, his eyes full of anger.

"You were asking for a way out! What we did was clearly a mistake!"

"You didn't have to put it that way, Blondie!"

His voice made me cringe at my seat. He was right, after all. I was in it with him. He offered and I accepted.

"Then tell how else would I have put it?! Should I have said that it was because we were drunk and stupid?!"

"You should have kept your mouth shut!"

"ENOUGH!"

Makarov's voice boomed around the room and it took me a while before I felt the tears in my eyes. I didn't know why I was crying but I know that I was mad at myself, mad at my own stupidity and the fact that the sound of Laxus's voice hurt. The master returned the paper back inside the envelope and kept it inside his pocket. I wiped the tears from my eyes and took a deep, shaky breath.

"Marriage is not some sort of game that you can just back out anytime. You're both bounded for life, bounded by magic and there is nothing that can ever break. I want you both to take full responsibility for your foolish actions. Lucy, you're a part of my family now, in all legal sense, and it's only natural that you must move in and live with Laxus. Talk and figure this out together as husband and wife."

"But master!"

"My decision is final! Like I said, you're a Dreyar now, Lucy. There's no turning back. Laxus, protect and love your wife and you, Lucy, take care of your husband. Give him a reason to come home to. Now leave. I expect you to move out from your apartment by the end of the day."

The old man's words were absolute and I finally realized that there really was no way out of this. My life is officially over. Now how am I supposed to face everyone? As instructed, I left the office with Laxus behind me. As soon as we were out, I turned to Laxus, surprised at how calm he looked. Meeting my eyes, he raised an eyebrow.

"This is all your fault!" I hissed at him, trying to control my voice but how could I? The look on his face made me feel as if he wasn't affected, as if everything's working out just fine. Now I have to live with him for the rest of my life!

"My fault?! Don't go blaming this all on me, Blondie!" He snarled back at me, not minding the harshness of his own voice. I know that Laxus is right, I'm partly to blame for this whole mess… but of all people, why me?

"Then what am I supposed to do now? Play house with you?!"

Before he could say anything, Makarov stepped out of his office. Apparently, our little fight garnered the attention of the people at the guild hall and was now watching the scene above, right where we were. The master walked past between us, ignoring our presence and hopped up the balcony with a huge grin on his face.

"Brats, listen up!"

I felt my heart drop. Is he going to do what I think he's going to do? I stepped closer and tried to reach out to master but Laxus held me back and shook his head.

"Unfortunately," Makarovs began, "we weren't informed and we weren't there…"

What the hell is he talking about?

"…but it doesn't matter now because I'm here to announce that my idiotic grandson and Lucy got married a few days ago without telling us. In lieu of their marriage, let's party!"

The master's announcement echoed inside my head and I started to feel weak. Before I realized it, darkness filled my vision and all hell broke loose inside the guild.

* * *

><p>It was ridiculous.<p>

It was the lamest joke of the century.

An empty glass slipped from Mira's hand and it shattered on the floor. Cana dropped the bottle of wine that she was holding at the moment and it fell into the wooden table with a dull, loud clank before rolling down until it finally crashed on the floor. Reedus's paintbrush broke with a snap. Evergreen screamed like a banshee while Elfman shouted 'Otoko!' The thick lenses of Levy's Gale Force Glasses almost broke in splinters.

Only Natsu managed to laugh like a maniac.

"Nice one, gramps! Have you finally lost your marbles?" The Fire Dragon Slayer said, clutching his stomach as he laughed.

The master felt insulted and his eyes twitched in annoyance. Their shocked feedback was to be expected since he nearly did lost his marbles when he discovered the marriage certificate. It was not surprising that nobody had expected for this to happen. Heck, even Lucy and Laxus did not expected that they'll be married but Makarov thought that this must have happened for a reason and maybe because of this, his grandson will finally really grow up and shed his old skin.

When he told them to take full responsibility for their actions, he wasn't lying nor was it some sort of a test or a lesson for the both of them. He meant what he said. Everyone knows that marriage is no picnic, whatever the circumstance that my have led to the exchanging of vows, and he had to make sure that Laxus and Lucy would realize that.

Deep inside Makarov was somehow happy for his grandson but seeing Lucy silently crying, he couldn't help but think twice if he's making the right decision of letting them live together. Life in Fairy Tail has always been exciting but he was nervous for his own future. If he died, if he's already six feet under, will his brats dig him out of his grave just so they can give him problems? Makarov isn't scared of dying. He's scared that he might never die.

At the bar, Mira finally recovered from the shock and she started squealing in delight with hearts on her eyes as she started thinking about little blond kids playing and running around the guild. When Cana came to, she started hollering about some bet and the mages grumbled before fishing out jewels from their pockets and handed it to her. A lot of them had really thought that the busty Celestial mage would end up with Natsu.

"Wait… No way!" Natsu looked like he was lost.

"What do you take me for, you idiot?" Makarov bellowed out, visually strangling Natsu. "Believe it or not, they're married. Mira, serve the drinks. It's all on me tonight!"

Cheers echoed all over the guild hall yet some people were still unable to find their voices. Gray sat on his chair, his eyes wide as he looked around the festivity that in front of him. He didn't want to believe it that easily. Something felt fishy about the whole thing. Laxus and Lucy? Were they even dating? It was just… impossible. If Zeref appeared inside the hall, he'd no doubt believe it but this was too much.

Questions and answers filled his head. It must have been the reason why Lucy was acting all weird even since she arrived from her vacation. Or could it be that she left just so she could get married and used the trip as a front? Still, it just doesn't add up. No. Gray didn't want to add it all up. Last time he checked, he had never even seen the two of them talk; much less greet each other when they're inside the guild.

How come that he and Natsu only knew about now? Why did Lucy keep it all to herself? They were team mates, for god's sake. They were friends! A tempest in his mind, Gray also couldn't understand why he was so aggravated and Erza had to be somewhere else at a time like this.

Gray suddenly remembered the ring on her finger. While they were still out on a mission, he would sometimes catch her looking at it with a faraway look on her eyes. Sometimes she would catch herself looking at it, her eyes wary, and instantly hide her hand inside her pocket or behind her. At first it didn't bother him but now that it has come to this, her little lie echoed inside his head when she told them that she had the ring all along.

Wait.

All along?

He was going crazy now as he tried to put the pieces together and watch them fall once again. Gray gritted his teeth in anger as his eyes traveled up the second floor and the temperature around him dropped that Happy fled away, shivering and the others were too preoccupied to notice the change in him. Upstairs, Lucy looked like she was in tears as she listened to the master who was talking to the both of them, patting Lucy's shoulder with a wrinkly hand.

He wanted to go up there and take her away. He wanted to go up there and punch the daylights out of Laxus. He wanted to go up there and talk to her, make her tell him that it was all just a lie but before he could stand up, Laxus picked Lucy up as they both disappeared in a speed of lightning.

Gray couldn't hear anything anymore. The words and the cheers around him were starting to become incomprehensible. Across him, Natsu was grinning like an idiot, chugging down a glass of beer and Gray found the whole picture odd. How could Natsu believe Makarov that easily without even questioning what really happened in the first place? But Natsu is Natsu and he only thinks with his fists or his stomach.

Before Gray could stop himself, he suddenly rushed in to the clueless dragon slayer's side and grabbed him by the collar. He was pissed at how Natsu looked, he was pissed that Natsu was joining along with everyone and he couldn't understand why he was feeling so damn angry.

"What the hell are you doing, Ice Freak?!"

Natsu almost felt a shiver run down his spine when he saw the look in Gray's eyes and before he knew it, Gray landed a powerful punch on his jaw that sent him pummeling to the other side. Everyone stopped mid-air and looked at what happened but clearly, it was something normal. Everyone figured out that the two of them were just having one of their usual fights and went back partying as the guild door opened. Lisanna and Juvia came in, surprised to see what was going on.

"Lisanna! Juvia! You're back! Mira waved her hand at them as the girls entered the guild.

"What's going on?" Lisanna asked her sister

"We're having a celebration. Apparently, Laxus and Lucy got married a few days ago! Isn't in wonderful?" The Demon Take-Over mag said before leaving them with a blush on her face. The two girls were left dumbfounded as they looked back and forth each other and on the scene in front of them.

"Did Juvia hear it right, Lisanna-san?"

"Uh. Eh-h… I think so?"

Lisanna scanned the guild with her eyes and tired to look for the newly married couple, but there were no blonds present at the moment and Lisanna wondered why. It was supposed to be their party but they were not around. What the hell is going on? The sound of a table breaking in two made the girls jump as their attention wee now focused on a certain Ice Make mage, half naked with his head down, his eyes casted down on the floor below him. His knuckles were white and bleeding as the table lay in front him, its existence were of no use- irreparable.

She felt Juvia move closer beside her as Gray stalked towards them. His eyes were dark and cold and his face looked as if he was facing an enemy. As he was getting close to them, Juvia tried to open her mouth to speak but Gray only walked past them, not once meeting their eyes, as if they weren't there.

"Juvia?" Lisanna asked the girl softly beside her, suddenly feeling scared and anxious at what had transpired. The Rain Woman managed to smile steadily at her friend.

"Don't worry, Lisanna-san. Juvia is all right."

* * *

><p>His ears were ringing and he felt like they were going to bleed.<p>

As soon as the soles of his shoes landed on the floor, he threw the screaming and crying Celestial mage on the black leather couch. He was thoroughly irritated. Why do girls overreact all the time?

A splitting headache was pounding in his head, aggravating his annoyance. Sighing, he collapsed on the couch across Lucy and started to massage his temples as her screaming continued echoed inside his head even if her mouth was already shut. Now, Lucy was sitting up straight, wiping the tears off from her eyes.

"You know, Blondie, you're only making things hard for yourself and this is only the beginning," Laxus said and ignored when she started glaring daggers at him. "Things would have been easier if you didn't leave me that day."

Lucy looked at him, trying to see if he was really Laxus. How can he be so sensible and calm at a time like this? She suddenly realized that she was the only one who was making a big deal out of this, letting her own emotions do all the talking instead of using her head. Now that it has come to this, there is no other choice for the both of them but to live together and figure it out.

Yes, that may work but as husband and wife? Lucy shook her head at the idea. They will never become such a couple. Sure they were married but they weren't in love. Maybe her situation now isn't so different if she had actually married the guy that her father was talking about back when he was still alive.

"I should probably go back home and pack then." Lucy sighed in resignation as she stood up.

"I'll come with you."

A burst of light emerged from her side as Virgo appeared with a bow.

"Virgo? I didn't call you. What are you doing here?"

"I'm very sorry, Princess. Will you punish me?" Virgo said, right hand on her left chest.

Laxus just watched them, amused as his 'wife' shook hear head with a frown.

"No, Virgo. I am not going to punish you and I will never punish you bec-," Lucy sweat dropped. "Never mind. Just tell me what brought you here?

"Before anything else, I'd like to congratulate you, Princess and you too, Laxus-sama. The news has reached the Spirit King and he had also suggested that it is only proper for a married woman to live with her husband therefore I have already packed your things and they are waiting for you in the Spirit World."

Lucy felt like freaking out. Should she be thankful for her thoughtful spirits or should she be mad because they would go at such lengths in thinking ahead of her? But of course she can never really be truly mad at them.

"It's okay Virgo. Thanks a lot. I'll just call you." A tired smile adorned her face, something that Laxus did not fail to notice, and Virgo disappeared leaving them once again to their own devices.

"They really care for you a lot, huh?" Laxus said, breaking her thoughts.

"Uh. Yeah, I know."

She looked around her and for the first time, she noticed how nice his place looks. Everything about his house felt so cozy and homey. Black and dark wood, crystals doors, small potted plants, and white rugs… the place was just amazing even though she preferred a bright place.

"I'm going to take a shower. Make yourself at home." Laxus stood up and removed his jacket before tossing it on the chair.

"Wait," Lucy stood up, uncertain. "Should we talk first? I mean we should figure out how to, uh… I mean, of course, I can't possibly share one bedroom with you. I need my own place and such."

"What are you talking about, Blondie?" he smirked, looking at her straight in the eyes. "It's not like we haven't slept on the same bed before."

"See, this is exactly what I'm talking about! It will never happen, Lamp Post! I want my own bedroom!"

"Geez, stop shouting, will you? You're making my headache worse."

Huffing, Lucy crossed her arms on her chest with a challenging look on her face. She wouldn't just go with the flow; she wouldn't just let him decide things for her just because they were married.

"I don't care about your goddamn headache. You look like you're enjoying this too much!"

He faced her directly, stepping closer to her.

"And what if I am? I'm a lucky man, after all. I managed to snatch up such a beautiful wife." He said while reaching out to her hair, letting the silky strands slide against his fingers. Lucy slapped his hand away with a death glare.

"You're such an asshole!"

Laxus only laughed at her. She was angry but in his eyes she looked so damn good. Everything about her was just so beautiful and he realized now that he should try and at least make this relationship work out for the two of them.

"I don't like fighting with you, Blondie."

"Well, I don't too but if you continue to act like a jerk, then it's best if you fucking leave me alone! I don't care what you do, I don't care if we're married but don't go butting into my personal space."

Laxus only sighed. He wanted to embrace her. He felt like he wanted to embrace her, calm her down and tell her that everything will be fine.

"You still think this… us… is a mistake?"

"Yes, I do. This is the biggest mistake that I have ever done in my life! I can't believe I'm tied up with someone like you for the rest of my life!"

"Someone like me? What the hell do you mean by that, Blondie?"

"Exactly how I you think I meant it!"

Laxus felt the blood rush into his head.

"Listen, here, Blondie. I admit that I may have caused some bad things in the past but I'm trying to change and I'm trying to make this whole thing easy for the both of us but instead of being grateful, here you are, spitting me off like I'm some goddamned demon who's about to condemn you for the rest of your life. Do you think that this is easy for me? Think twice again, Blondie! I'm here, dealing with our shit, on my own. Don't you think you should cut me some slack? I have my own life too so don't go blaming everything to me because the last time I checked, everything isn't about you!"

He stormed away from the living room. Hearing a door slam shut, Lucy sank back on the couch, tears started to stream down her eyes once again. His words continued to play inside her eyes until she heard the sound of the water running from the bathroom.

Laxus felt his muscles relax under the cold shower. He punched the wall in front of him, regretting his burst-out speech. Is it too hard for her to at least go along with him? He was clearly aware that she was not happy with the whole thing and he wanted to tell her so how much he wanted to work this out for her. He wanted to see her smile again, like that time when they were still away. He wanted to hear her laugh and look at him with her big brown eyes.

Laxus closed his eyes, feeling the water run down his bare skin. Why does things have to start this way for the both of them? For the past few days he was all that she could think of. It's the same with Lucy but in her case, all she could ever think of was getting rid of him and somehow he had sensed that. Whenever she would look at him, he could feel her hate, he could feel her coldness and her regret and she had to slap it on his face all the time.

"Looks like I can't really make you love me can't I, Blondie?"

**TBC**

* * *

><p>Hey, guys!<p>

Uhm, sorry if this chapter isn't good enough and sorry if I wasn't able to update right away.

I'm not really good with words, especially when replying to reviews but please do know that I appreciate the support. If I made any mistakes (grammar, typos, etc. etc) please, let me know. ;)

BETA NEEDED. ANYONE?

THANKS A LOT for those who reviewed and whatnot. You guys make me happy!

Please don't forget to R&R!

Until then!~


	9. Dinner For Two

Before anything else, I'd like to say thanks to **Bkshp95 **for pointing out a few typo errors from the previous chapter.

Also, to my friend who helped me with this chapter. ;)

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fairy Tail**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER NINE<strong>

**DINNER FOR TWO**

Just a little after Loke told Erza everything there was to tell, Virgo appeared and told them that she needed to pack up all of Lucy's things, save for the bed, the couches and the furniture. During the whole duration of Loke's storytelling, if one can call it that, Erza had been blushing madly and in the middle of it all, she could not help but picture herself in a wedding dress, walking up the isle to find his tattooed face waiting for her with a smile at the altar but other than her own wedding fantasy, she was quite angry.

Erza knew that Laxus had a reputation, not a good one at that, but after Makarov decided to take him back, as per ordered by Gildarts on his letter upon his appointment as the guild master, she was aware that the Lightning Dragon Slayer started to change. He had helped them, in more ways than one but this was not the time to judge Laxus's character. This was about Lucy, and Erza was completely overwrought that the girl had ended up with him.

In the end, unfortunately, the flirty leader of the zodiacs was notable to find some answers from the Spirit World and he had asked Titania if she could possibly break it down to Lucy since he decided to stay at his master's apartment to help Virgo pack up. Erza headed back to the guild and found a party on full swing. At the bar, Mira gladly filled Erza in about what she missed while she was away and instead of joining the on-going festivity, she decided to look for Lucy.

"Mira, do you know where Lucy is?" Titania asked the barmaid as she surveyed the guild.

"Sorry, Erza but I'm not sure where she went since I got busy. How about you ask master?"

Makarov, who was near the girls, grunted and snickered. His face was flushed from the alcohol and he was wearing a sly grin. Erza approached him and asked.

"Who knows?" He said in between his drunken hiccups. "She could be busy at the moment."

"Busy with what?"

"Making my great-grandchildren," he sneered as Erza blushed madly. "But if I were you I shouldn't worry too much. My grandson may be foolish at times but I'm sure he'll treat her just fine."

Mira squealed in excitement at the thought of babies while Erza only shook her head and narrowed down the possibility of where Lucy could be.

"I still need to talk to her, master." Erza insisted firmly as the old man nodded his head.

"She's at Laxus's house. They are married now, Erza, and it's only right that they should live under one roof."

Erza believed that Makarov was right but her concern for Lucy won't go away not until she sees her and so, Erza left the guild. She had never been to the dragon slayer's abode before but being an S-Class mage, she had the privilege of knowing the location of his house in any case that an emergency might arise. After walking for less than twenty minutes, Erza finally spotted his house by the clearing and knocked on the door.

Inside, Laxus just go out of the shower, sporting a towel wrapped around his built waist while he dried his hair with a smaller towel. He heard the knock on his door and grumbled at the unknown intruder. He made his way to the living room and found Lucy fast asleep on the sofa, her blond locks covering her face. He thought of waking her up but she looked as if she was having a good sleep and decided to open the door instead.

Erza blushed madly at the sight in front of her and perverted thoughts crept up inside her mind, not sure if she caught the couple at a bad time but Laxus let her in and led her to the living room. He crouched beside the sofa where Lucy was and gently shook her awake.

"Blondie?"

Lucy stirred and swatted his hand away. "Go away, Natsu."

Natsu again. Laxus sighed. He had no time to get all worked up at the moment and continued to wake her up instead. Lucy's eyes fluttered open, still glazed from sleep when she looked at him. Sensing the closeness of their faces, Lucy quickly sat up and rubbed her eyes, which were a little bit puffy from all the crying earlier.

Laxus stood up. "I'll leave you two alone. I'll be in my room if you need me."

Erza sat across Lucy who seemed startled at her presence and quickly avoided her eyes with a guilty look on her face. She was clearly not expecting a sudden visit from Erza but Loke must have finished explaining to Titania what had transpired during her vacation, and now that the cat's out of the bag, she had no other choice left but to get on with it.

"I'm sorry for not telling you sooner, Erza."

The older woman nodded her head in understanding. She can feel that the blond was nervous and it made her feel as if she was talking to a stranger.

"It's okay, Lucy. Loke told me everything and it's not your fault. I understand that you must have been scared."

"No!" Lucy looked at her. "It's not okay! Everything's not okay!" Tears gathered at the corners of her eyes and Erza moved to sit beside her as she engulfed the girl in her embrace.

Erza's decision to visit her had been right. The girl clearly needed someone to talk to since she kept her problem all to herself. When Erza heard everything from Loke, the strangeness in Lucy's demeanor during their mission finally made sense to her. Lucy had been less chatty and had been somewhat anxious around her. Now that Erza finally understood the reason behind it, she started feeling sorry for the girl and thought how hard it must have been for her.

"You've been through too much lately, Lucy," Erza said to her softly, "but I know you'll get through this. You're one of the strongest people that I know and anyone can vouch for that, but you have to get a grip on yourself and believe that you can get through this."

"I'm so ashamed at my own self, ashamed at what I have done," Lucy hit back. I just married someone whom I have no feelings of love for, so how could I possibly get through this? What's killing me is that I'm in love with someone else and I don't know what's going to happen anymore. It's all over for me."

Erza tried to hide her surprise upon hearing her words. Lucy must have bee really out of herself to have done such a thing. Erza took her by the shoulders and wiped the tears away from her eyes.

"Loke told me that he was not able to find anything from the Spirit World but I'm sure that there's always a way, but you have to trust me and tell me everything. I'm not trying to push you into it but I'm here to listen, I have always been here for you, Lucy. If it will make you feel better, at least for a bit, I'm all ears and I'm not going to judge you."

Lucy looked at her I hesitation but the assurance in Erza's voice made her decide then and there to come clean.

"I know it sounds clichéd but when people said to always expect the unexpected, they had been right," Lucy started, "and it was never my plan for this to happen. I left the guild purely for vacation, to give myself time, and having fun was the only goal that I had that time, but it was mostly because I needed time to think and sort out my feelings."

"To think about what? What's been bothering you?"

"I thought that running away would at least solve it but I realized that I'm only prolonging the agony and that I'm only running way from my own self but still, even just for a few days, I knew that I had to leave. I've been such a coward and now look where it brought me. I left to clear my mind from everything, from him, but then…"

"But then you met Laxus?"

Lucy nodded her head and steadied herself by taking a deep breath, glad that the words that had been bottled up inside her chest are starting to roll out smoothly and surely.

"Yes. Then I met Laxus and for a while I stopped thinking about him, the other guy I mean. Don't get me wrong in this but I wasn't using Laxus or something like that. I just… somehow I just forgot everything and it's like my worries flew out of the window but I ended up getting married to Laxus. When I came to, I left Akane right away because I didn't know what else to do and I was so mad at myself, mad at taking it all on Laxus."

"Wait. By the other guy did you mean Natsu?"

Lucy almost snorted with a laugh but shook her head. Her feelings for Natsu were probably like Erza's, a brotherly love. The bond between her and the Fire Dragon Slayer was only a special kind of friendship. No more, no less.

"I don't think it matters anymore, Erza but to answer your question, it's Gray I'm in love with. Being his friend was enough for me, liking and admiring him from the sidelines but my feelings grew and grew so I decided not to think too much about it because it might ruin everything for us but then he started to get chummy with someone else, someone who was obviously head over heels in love with him and I didn't mind. I thought it was okay but it hurts yet who am I to complain? I didn't have to courage to confess to him so I kept my mouth shut and he might have already realized his feelings for Juvia by now."

Erza knitted her brows for missing something like this. She had never thought that it was Gray but could it have been her own fault? It was true, was Lucy had just said. Gray and Juvia had indeed grew closer since after the Grand Magic Games but then she suddenly remembered the rainy days and Juvia's confession to them that Gray was in love with someone else. After hearing this, Erza felt that she was partly to blame as to why Gray and Juvia got close.

"I'm to blame for that, Lucy. I'm sorry."

"What are you talking about?"

"When we were still at Crocus that time Gray ran into me and we talked for a while. He knew that I was having a bit of a… err, trouble and I noticed that he was in pinch as well. He told me that he left the Sun Bar to avoid getting caught up between Juvia and Lyon then I told him that he should open his eyes and realize Juvia's feelings for him."

"That might be true but you didn't know, Erza. I didn't tell anyone that I've been harboring such feelings for him all along, not even Levy had an idea about this and I decided to keep it that way."

Erza allowed Lucy's words to sink in. What was going to happen if she tells Lucy about what happened to Juvia? How will she take it? Sure, Juvia did not tell them directly who the mystery girl was but she did not want to take her chances. Gray could be in love with someone else and in the worst-case scenario, what if it was Lucy?

Erza was having a hard time trying to make up her mind and the pressure of weighing the possible consequences of each side was difficult. If, hypothetically speaking, Juvia had meant that Lucy was the subject of the Ice-Make mage's affection and given now that Lucy is a married woman, things will surely go downhill and in the end, Lucy will still suffer either way.

The Celestial mage said that she had no feelings of love for Laxus but seeing as they were somehow forced to be together, thanks to their marriage and thanks to master's decision, love could still bloom in time between the two of them and it's possible that Lucy might be able to forget her feelings for Gray.

Erza was started to get dizzy from all the thoughts inside her head. Lucy might get mad at her for this but she was going to do this for her sake, to save her heart from breaking even more. She will have to keep her mouth shut and pray that Lucy will forgive her for this. Lucy didn't have to know, it's best if she doesn't know.

"What are you planning to do now, Lucy?"

"…"

"Look, Laxus might be scary at times but I do know that he's a good guy through and through. Why don't you give him a chance and see if this arrangement will work for the both of you and who knows, you might find happiness with him."

"I'm not so sure of that," Lucy muttered sadly under her breath, remembering the dragon slayer's cocky smile.

"Love takes time, Lucy, and if he does hurt you, I swear, I'll have his head on a plate for you."

Seeing Erza's smile, Lucy giggled and nodded her head. Erza was right. She wasn't one to back out just because she was afraid and maybe all it takes is for her to give it a try. Laxus had treated her quite well when they were away and maybe she could start with that.

"You don't have to, Erza, but I guess you're right. I know I won't be able to forget Gray that easily but maybe someday I will."

"Like I said, just take your time. There's no need to rush when it comes to sorting out your feelings."

"Thanks a lot, Erza."

"Don't mention it," Titania stood up. "You should come by to the guild. I'm sure the girls would want to talk to you but until then, I'll fill them in with the safe parts so you don't have to worry too much."

Lucy hugged her friend and escorted her out the door. She went back to the living room and sank back on the couch, feeling a little bit better. She looked around her and could not help but feel isolated at such an unfamiliar place. This is her home now but she still had no idea where to place herself. She lay on her back and raised her left hand, admiring the band on her ring finger and closed her eyes. She knew that she could make this work.

"I'm so sorry, Gray," Lucy said to no one.

Laxus did not mean to overhear their conversation but when he heard the rest, his ears could no longer stop from accepting everything. For once, he felt that being a dragon slayer was a curse- a power with an equally massive price. His sense of hearing was inhumane and even if having such a trait was advantageous, today was quite the opposite.

His muscles were tense while he stood outside his room as he listened to them talk and an array of rabid emotions flickered through his chest. Learning about Lucy's feelings for Gray made him growl in anger and the painful feeling clutched his heart like a vulture would fasten its claws on its prey but Lucy was not his prey, she was not his to feast on like he did to the women he had spent countless nights with. Lucy was his wife and he will not let her go.

He knew that being married to her was not enough and the rings that bind them together would mean nothing if he can't have her heart. Silently, he went back to his room and dug a fresh shirt from his closet, tossing the towel on the hamper as he left his room.

Making his way towards the kitchen, he passed by her sleeping figure on the couch and saw how vulnerable she looked. He carried her gently to his room and placed her on the bed, making sure that she was comfortable. Lucy stirred at the movement and moved to her side, her forehead creased for a moment until she finally relaxed with a soft sigh. Laxus brought up the covers up to her chin and sat beside her, his face on his palms.

He found his situation ironic. He wanted to make her happy but he was the reason behind her tears. Nobody had warned him that falling in love was not easy and to think that he did not expect that he would actually fall in love with her in a span of few days but what made it even more complicated was that she had to be in love with someone else. He was not sure to be happy or not upon hearing that she wanted to make things work for them but could it be because she was obligated to do so?

There was so much that he wanted to know about her but it looks like it was going to be impossible, not with every conversation between the two of them starts off with a shouting match. He stood up, left his house and walked to the guild hoping that the noise there could curb away his thoughts for the meantime and he knew that he owes his team mates an explanation.

* * *

><p>A few days have passed by and the fire died out eventually but Lucy was still reluctant to show herself at the guild until Erza visited her again and brought Levy with her to help convince the blond. After Erza's first visit, Lucy tried to think of ways how to 'work things out' with Laxus but the situation did not improve one bit. When she woke up that morning on her first night, Laxus was nowhere to be found. She stayed in and waited for him to come home but he never did arrive. By the next morning, her solitude was finally broken when Laxus arrived while she was at the living room reading a book. She looked at him but he only ignored her, took a shower and left once again. Lucy noticed that he reeked of alcohol.<p>

It did not stop at that. Whenever she would try to talk to him, he would instantly avoid her and leave, either to his bedroom or out of the house. Laxus never comes home during the night and when Lucy would wake up, he'd be at the shower, and he'd get dressed and leave again. Whatever happened to 'making things better'?

She had half the mind to get mad at him but he never even look at her anymore nor even acknowledge her presence inside the house, and for some strange reasons Lucy would feel her heart drop. It made her feel unwanted and useless. When she thought about it, isn't this what she had been wanting in the first place?

"Everyone's worried about you Lucy," Levy cut through her thoughts, "but Erza told us that you have been busy trying to settle in."

They were sitting on the living room over tea.

"I'm really sorry, Levy but it's just like what she said," Lucy turned to Erza. "I'm sorry I don't have a cake for you at the moment."

"It's fine, Lucy. I can always get one at the guild." Erza took the cup of tea on the coffee table in front of her.

"How are things at the guild?" Lucy asked.

"Same old, same old," Levy said with a smile. "But everyone misses you. You should come with us today."

"It's true. Natsu's been asking me where you are and he wanted to hunt you down but I kept him from disturbing you, now that you no longer live alone."

It was the same for Lucy. She misses everyone as well, but she could not get over her fear of facing everyone. She was scared to go there alone just to get bombarded with questions that she would rather not answer but now that Erza and Levy came over, she knew that she had to buckle up. After catching up for a while, the three went to the guild and for the first time, Lucy was surprised to find out that her new home was located in such a beautiful place.

Upon entering the door, Natsu and Happy tackled the celestial mage into a hug that almost knocked her over but Erza had been there to break their fall and hit the back of Natsu's head. The group headed to their usual table near the bar and Mira came over to them.

"I never got to congratulate you, Lucy, so congratulations!" Mira beamed widely at her and gave her a big hug. Lucy hugged her back with a forced smile on her face, thinking that there was nothing to congratulate about.

"Thanks, Mira."

"By the way, Lucy," Mira took out a small pouch from her pocket, "your landlady left this for you. She said you paid your rent in advance for two months, right? She returned the jewels for the extra month since you moved out already."

"Thanks again, Mira," Lucy took the pouch from her. "That reminds me, I never got to talk to her and explain why I had to move out all of a sudden. I should pay her a visit sometime soon."

"Yes. You probably should."

Lucy's landlady was really scary and strict when it comes to her rent but above all, the woman had been kind to her and had even kept her apartment clean while she had been away for seven years. She mentally noted to bring something nice for the lady when she would come to visit.

A few others began to file in to congratulate Lucy, especially Bisca who was really glad for Lucy.

"I'm so excited. Asuka might have a playmate soon!"

Lucy almost chocked on her own spit at her words and blushed madly, shaking her head.

"I don't think that's going to happen anytime soon, Bisca," Lucy said, wiping her mouth with a table napkin.

Bisca hung her head. "Why? I think that you're going to be a wonderful mom, Lucy. I can tell that much."

Beads of sweat started to appear on Lucy's forehead and wished that she would leave soon.

"It's just that we just got married and uh, I don't think I'm ready yet." Lucy said.

"Is that so? Well, alright." With that, the Fairy Tail's top shooter left and picked up Asuka from the table. The little girl was playing with Lily. Eventually, Natsu left and got into a fight with Elfman and Gajeel, leaving Lucy with Erza and Levy. After a while Lisanna and Cana joined them on the table and judging from the setting, Lucy could tell that they gathered to make her spill everything.

"Damn, girl," Cana smirked at her as she perched up the table, "didn't think that you'd be the one who can tame the mighty dragon."

"It's not like that." Lucy bit her lip.

"I was really surprised too," Lisanna piped in. "I missed the big announcement because I was out on a mission with Juvia. Lucy, have you and Laxus been secretly dating?"

"Naughty." Cana wiggled her eyebrows suggestively and drank her beer.

"I was really sad, Lucy. To think that I was your best friend." Levy pouted.

The girl on the hot seat sighed. "I'm sorry, Levy but it's not like that at all. It's just…" Lucy looked at Erza, hoping that she could take a hint and take over for her but it was clearly not Erza's story to tell.

"All right," Lucy resigned in nervousness, "I'll tell you guys everything but promise me not to freak out or anything."

All the girls nodded their heads, eager to hear what she had to say and Lucy knew that she had to choose her words carefully.

"I met Laxus at Balsam purely by coincidence and so we decided to hang out together because Loke ditched me and I don't know how but we ended up going to Akane. We spent a couple of days there and one night we got drunk and that was how we got married. One thing led to another and it just happened and when I realized what we have done, I ran away. I got really scared and confused that's why I didn't tell you guys anything until master eventually discovered everything."

"…"

"…"

Lucy felt like tearing up after seeing their reactions. Their lack of words was deafening but she knew that they would never judge her for doing something like that. She felt so ashamed of herself to have done something that wasn't like her. It was Cana who broke the ice.

"You lucky minx. So, how was he in bed?" She said with a teasing grin.

"Cana!" Lucy suddenly blushed and remembered how he was. In a word, he was great, he was so good, he…

"Damn. So you really did it with him, huh?" Cana smirked again. "I bet he's even better now as compared to how he was before."

Huh? Lucy looked the booze lover. "How would you know that?" Lucy was surprised at the tone of her voice.

"As, sorry about that, Mrs. Dreyar," Cana said coolly. "Don't worry. I'm not going to steal him away from you. We used to fool around when we were both young but that's about it. It was nothing serious and besides, I have Bacchus now."

Lucy knew that it was to be expected. Laxus was, after all, good looking and had a body that was to die for, but Lucy suddenly felt insecure. What she was feeling right now cannot compare to how she would feel whenever she would see Gray and Juvia together but still, she was aware that she was feeling slightly jealous.

Wait. What?

No. She did not want to admit that or rather, she had no right to be jealous even if the tightening feeling on her chest was screaming otherwise.

"It's fine, Cana," Lucy said. "We may be married but we're not like Bisca and Alzack. We got married because we were both stupid and what else can I say? I feel like I just got knocked up by a stranger from a one night stand."

"But Lucy," Lisanna frowned, "Laxus is no stranger."

"I still fucked up, didn't I?"

Lucy started crying again after saying those words because it was true. She did fuck up and there was no need to blame it all on the alcohol or their outrageous agreement to do something stupid. Levy moved closer to her and rubbed her back gently.

"Aww, Lucy," Mira said, "just look on the bright side, okay? Laxus may not seem like it but I know that he's a good man. I know so because we grew up with him and Freed highly respects him. I'm not saying this because I'm dating Freed but his stories about Laxus proves that he's not a bad man. Sure, he might have lost his way before, but it's all in the past."

"Mira's right, Lucy," Levy agreed. "Judging from what you told us, I'm sure it's not that bad. I mean, think it over. You said that the both of you spent time together and I'm also pretty sure that you liked his company well enough that you decided to let him accompany you while you were away."

A bitter smile escaped from Lucy's lips. She had fun with him and she had to admit that and now it was time for her to stop crying. The girls cheered her on as they hung out at the guild the whole day, talking and laughing together. She missed this, she thought, and she knew that with this kind of support group she could make it through.

Afternoon came and Lucy left the guild with a shivering Plue in front of her. When she arrived, the house was silently still, as usual, save for the sound of the birds up the trees by the clearing. While she was on her way she thought back about the times when she was with Laxus and realized that he had done nothing but treat her nicely even if he was perverted at times. Back then, he had offered to stay with her while she was away and alone and Lucy knew that she had enjoyed spending her time with him. Laxus had been kind to her in more ways than one, which was surprisingly unlike him yet she repaid him with what? Spiteful words and hatred? Layla had taught her better than that.

She needed to change her heart and change her perspective as well so she can get along with him and work out to find a silver lining from the mess that they made. If he was really changing like he had proclaimed, then maybe she should open her mind and help him, accept him. Lucy had always believed that everyone was born with goodness and that everyone has the capacity to change. Maybe, slowly, she should try and learn to understand him just as he was trying to understand her.

* * *

><p>It was already dark when Juvia woke up from her nap. She had thought of going to the guild for dinner but the idea of eating a simple meal at the confines of her own room appealed to her better. After getting dressed, she headed downstairs and left through the back door of the Fairy Hills, taking the shortcut towards the town market.<p>

She started feeling better lately, having finally accepted the fact that sooner or later, things will get better for her. But moving on was a completely different thing especially after being in love for such a long time, even if she had finally resigned herself to the fact that maybe Gray was not the one for her.

When Juvia arrived at the market, she headed to the bakery and bought some bread and proceeded to get a bottle of milk along with a bottle of fresh juice. Earlier this morning, when she was walking out of the guild she saw Lucy for the first time in days along with Erza and Levy. The Rain Woman had thought of calling out to her but something held her back and Juvia ended up leaving. She had noticed that the usually bright and smiling Celestial mage was quiet, her face was blank and she started to wonder again about the news that had shocked the whole guild a couple of days ago.

But she was more worried about Gray.

He had left the guild in anguish and whenever she would see him at the guild, he was always alone and had stopped his usual fights with Natsu. Juvia wondered if he was doing all right and had thought of visiting him but she knew that she was in no position to do so. Maybe Gray needed time to think, just as she needed to be alone a few days ago after the mission that they took together and that mission was probably the last one for the both of them, no more Unison Raid left to share.

She had too much time on her hands lately and her days were filled with a peaceful boredom. Before, she never had to worry about how she will spend her free time, no idle moments for her, but now that she had finally stopped stalking him, she realized that her days were filled with bleakness and it made her wonder if she had been living at all and whatever the feeling was, it made her think as if she was in a coma or in some sort of a sleep-induced spell then just like that- she woke up.

Juvia turned left on the corner of the block and saw a familiar figure staggering under the lacrima lamppost. The person was wearing a pair of dark colored pants and a plain black shirt, holding what looked like a bottle of liquor on his right hand. As she walked closer, Juvia felt her chest tighten.

"G-Gray-sama? Is that you?"

The Ice-Make mage looked up upon hearing someone call out his name. Recognizing Juvia, the side of his lips twitched upward and Juvia saw, for the very first time, the coldest look she had even seen.

"Oh. It's only you." He said curtly, his voice harsh.

Gray took a step and stumbled forward but Juvia was quick and she caught him before he almost fell halfway with his face on the ground as he let out a laugh.

"Ah. Sorry."

"What are you doing, Gray-sama? You shouldn't be out, drunk like this. Juvia will help you home." She took his arm and when she was about to wrap it for support on her shoulder Gray pushed her away and straightened himself.

"I don't need your fucking help, Juvia." He snarled at her direction before walking off, leaving her frozen on the side of the road.

He had pushed her away again, harshly this time. Juvia looked away from his retreating back, glad that the street was deserted and dark. The hard feeling inside her chest only increased as the tears threatened to fall from her eyes once again. She let out a breath that she didn't know she had been holding and walked away.

Gray went home after his encounter with Juvia. He crushed the empty can of beer and threw it away as it bounced on the wall with a clunk. He had waited day after day for Lucy at the guild but she never showed up. He even went to her apartment, only to find it empty and lifeless; her things were gone and so were the traces of her. His days were dull and lifeless now that his eyes were finally open.

He felt pathetic to find himself at such a predicament. When he had finally realized his feelings for Lucy, when he had finally heard his heart screaming out her name, he was a little bit too late to even have the chance to confess and what's even more stupid was that it was Juvia who made him realize everything.

He lost count of the days that went past by and he finally stopped going out, spending his time drinking and wasting away, asking himself when did he turn into such a pathetic and weak being. Empty cans of beer and bottles littered all over the floor as he sat on the dark carpet inside his room. He wanted to see her so badly but that would mean facing the reality that she has was married to another man and he did not want that.

For days he submerged himself in his fantasy, making himself believe that it was all a lie, that what he heard was a lie, and because of that he did not want to wake up and would rather live in his newly made-up world in isolation. But he knew that he was still alive and a living being always had to wake up.

He stood up and wobbled his way to the bed where he finally collapsed, not bothering if his arm was hanging down the bed, his knuckles barely touching the cold tiled floor. His stomach grumbled loudly at the lack of food but his strength had left him and he was too tired to get up and eat. Gray closed his eyes and fell asleep, dreaming about her hay colored hair that glistened under the sunlight. He thought of her smile and her brown eyes, regretting the fact that she can no longer be his.

* * *

><p>The sound of the pans clattering from the kitchen woke him up from his nap. Yawning, Laxus shifted on the couch and checked the time from the clock hanging on the wall beside the open window in across him. Sitting up, Laxus stretched his neck from side to side and looked at the papers that were piled up on his desk, amazed that he had actually finished them without throwing a fit.<p>

When he went to the guild earlier this morning, he had planned to take on a mission with the Thunder God Tribe but his lazy-assed grandfather stopped him and made him take home half of the paper works that he was supposed to do as the guild master. Left with no other choice, the Raijinshuu left with Freed pouting and Laxus went home to do the menial task.

Having gotten used to Lucy's presence whenever he would come home after spending countless nights at Bicklow's, he was surprised to find the house empty just before noon. He figured that she must have gone to the guild and they had missed each other on the way. It was never his plan to avoid her but as the days went by, it became some sort of a silent agreement between the two of them up to the point where they would take turns in using the kitchen, the bathroom, the living room and even his own bedroom. The pained look in her eyes whenever she would look at him was the only thing that he was avoiding for he was unable to bear the guilt that was brought on with it and just like that, they stopped talking altogether.

He couldn't understand it himself, why he had been uncomfortable being around her and the reason remained at the tip of his tongue; like forgetting the right term to describe something specific. He stood up and fixed the mess on his desk before leaving his study.

Lucy was fixing the dinner table, much to his surprise once again, when he arrived in the kitchen.

"I made dinner," she said. "Are you hungry?"

"Uhh, sure?"

He was not sure if he was still dreaming or if they were having a conversation inside his head. Probably it was the former and this was all a part of his dream- waking up from his study and finding her in the kitchen cooking dinner. Lucy had her back on him, wearing a pink apron and her golden hair was tied up in a high ponytail, transferring the pork cutlets from the frying pan to the serving plate. Dreaming or not, Laxus smiled at the refreshing sight inside his kitchen.

"If you're just going to stand there you might as well help."

Laxus smirked and remained where he was, relishing the pleasant sight that suddenly made his kitchen look bright. The sound of her hustle-bustle didn't annoy him now that he was sure that he was far from dreaming. Fighting the urge to wrap his arms around her waist from her behind, he wondered what has gotten into her. What's with her sudden change of attitude? Lucy nonchalantly turned to him, raising an eyebrow with a knife pointed at his direction.

"All right. Geez." He complained but deep in side he was feeling otherwise. He set the table as she finished up and finally placed the food on the table.

It was no feast, just a hefty plate of pork cutlets, a couple of bacon-wrapped asparagus, rice and miso soup but strange enough it made him feel as if he was 'home.' Finally done, they sat across each other with the food in front of them.

"I'm not as good as Mira but I hope the food's to your liking."

"I'll eat whatever you cook for me, Blondie," he smirked at her again. "As long as the food's not poisoned."

Lucy shook her head and let out a small laugh. "Don't get too comfortable and it's not poisoned. If I wanted to kill you trust me, I won't use poison."

"I could get used to this every night, Blondie." He was amused that she was being a spitfire once again; thanking Mavis for whatever happened to her that brought back her sunny disposition.

Lucy blushed at his comment, deeply flattered, as he started filling his plate with food.

"Sure you could," she said, biting the insides of her cheeks to keep herself from smiling. "If you stop being such an arrogant jerk sometimes."

"I can try," Laxus said, "but I won't promise anything. Seriously though, this is good." He raised a half-bitten cutlet in front of him and he was rewarded with a smile.

"I'm glad you like it."

He felt his heart thump at the slight improvement between the two of them as they continued to eat in silence. She was smiling at him again and her eyes had become softer every time she looked at him. He only hoped that he wouldn't fuck this up again.

"So, what's for dinner tomorrow night?"

**TBC**

* * *

><p>Thank you for those who reviewed and all and I apologize if it took me awhile to post this chapter. I was busy at school and I had some difficulties regarding this chapter.<p>

Please don't forget to R&R!

Until then!~


	10. Interlude

A big thanks to **Bkshp95 **for pointing out typo and grammatical errors from the previous chapter and for helping me with the technical writing stuff. I really appreciate the support and all the help.**  
><strong>

Also, to **XxShyxX** for giving out ideas and whatnot to make this story better.

Lastly, to a friend who helped me with this chapter, for her time and effort.

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN FAIRY TAIL**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER TEN<strong>

**INTERLUDE**

Lucy woke up and nearly panicked to find herself in an unfamiliar room. She sat upright on the bed with a mattress that was as soft as the one she had at her apartment and looked around her, finally remembering where she was. Smiling fondly to herself, Lucy recalled how last night's dinner went. Laxus had been kind enough and offered to wash the dishes after they ate and later on, he joined her at the living room with a bottle of cold beer while Lucy had been sitting on the couch and reading a novel.

"What's up?" she said, not taking her eyes off the pages.

"I think I'm done spending the night at Bickslow's," he said as she looked up to him, coming into a conclusion that his friends might have been aware of the whole deal between the two of them, otherwise he would be forced to stay somewhere else. "What I'm trying to say it that there's an extra room if you might want to move, but of course you are more than welcome to sleep with me."

"Don't push your luck," from where she was, Lucy could feel him smirk and sighed, closing the book. "I'll take the room."

"Can't say I didn't try but my offer still stands if you would happen to change your mind."

Lucy pretended that she didn't hear his remark and hung her head to the side. "Are you talking about the room across your study?"

Laxus nodded before taking a swig from his beer and licked his lips. Lucy blushed at the sight and cursed her own eyes for being drawn to such a simple yet inviting act. She cleared her throat and looked away.

"Why'd you lock it anyway?" she asked.

"That room wasn't always locked," he started to explain," since Freed or Bick would sometimes spend the night after missions or something like that but the latter started getting too comfortable and I happen to like my privacy."

Lucy smiled. "At least you don't wake up with him beside you."

The dragon slayer cringed and shook his head, not wanting to imagine himself waking up to find Bick's face with his tongue hanging out from his mouth right in front of him.

"I'd rather have you wake up beside me, Blondie." He made another pass at her, trying to overrun Bick's image with Lucy's gorgeous face. He meant what he said but of course, she had to roll her eyes at him.

"Whatever."

He stood up, finishing his beer. "Suit yourself but I bet you a hundred jewels you'll come knocking on my door when it gets cold on some nights."

"Try me." She crossed her arms and smirked at him. It strikes her as funny how they got along within a blink of an eye as if nothing happened and sure enough, she started feeling comfortable being around him once again. It was the same relaxed feeling that she had felt when they were at Akane.

Lucy had always imagined that her married life would consist of someone who was strong, brave, loyal, and handsome and had all the good qualities that she had dreamed and idealized and that means that she should also be madly in love with him just as he was to her. Lucy thought about Laxus she suddenly saw that he bore the same qualities that of the person that was her ideal husband except the part where they should be madly in love with each other.

Until now, she could not let the feeling and the reality sink in and she felt like she was caught up in a beautiful sandstorm, swirling away with the tiny grans of sand and then suddenly, with the wind's sudden shift, she was left lying on the ground, unable to grasp the whole situation of the new place where the wind had brought her. But above everything that had happened, she was quite glad that the night had turned out right, not because they did not fight but because she had accomplished to put her thoughts into actions by making things better for the both of them.

If there was one thing that she was glad about her marriage to him was that she never had to worry ever again about the rent. That doesn't really mean that she had to stop going on missions. She knew that she had to at least help him with the household expenses. Lucy made the bed and hit the shower, planning to head to the market later in the afternoon to buy groceries.

After getting dressed, Lucy went to the kitchen and had breakfast alone since Laxus had left early. When she was done, Lucy left and went to the guild, hoping that her team mates were there so she could go on a mission with them by tomorrow. It was bright and sunny when she stepped out and Lucy was glad to be out without dragging her heart behind her. When she arrived, Natsu was nowhere to be found but Erza was there, talking to Wendy and Charle. The blond walked up to Mira and asked for a strawberry milkshake.

"Good morning, Lucy-san!" Wendy greeted her with a bright smile as Lucy joined them. She missed playing with Wendy's hair, trying different up-dos that suited the Sky Dragon Slayer.

"Morning, Wendy. How are you?'

"I'm doing fine! Thanks for asking."

Lucy sat beside Erza who acknowledged her with a smile.

"Where's Natsu?" Lucy asked her.

"He's probably at home yet. Do you need anything from him?" Erza cut the cake delicately on the plate in front of her.

Lucy nodded. "That's weird. He's usually here by this time around. I wanted to go on a job with you guys. Have you found anything interesting on the board?"

Erza took out a mission flyer from her pocket and handed it to her. "I got this yesterday but we can go tomorrow since Gray hasn't shown up yet and I still have to archive this month's job reports for master."

"Now that you mention it, Erza-san, I haven't seen Gray-san too." Wendy said, touching her chin with her finger.

Lucy totally forgot about him. They were in the same team and it was only natural for them to take on a job together but it totally slipped her mind. Erza noticed Lucy flinch and bit her tongue. She should have lied instead and told Lucy that Gray was out on a solo mission or anything. For some reasons she did not want them to meet or have the chance to see each other just yet, especially now that she was aware of her feelings for the Ice-Make mage. She had to do something about it to confirm her suspicions and she had to act fast. Erza finished her cake and left the girls.

Erza stormed out and headed towards Fairy Hills where she knows Juvia would be. She knocked on the door of her room, which was opened after a little while with Juvia who was in the middle of getting dressed. Erza concealed her surprise when she saw the changes inside her room. One, the color of the paint was changed and Gray's pictures on the wall were no more and second, the mini-Gray plush toys were nowhere to be seen as well and the room looked plain to the point that it was dull.

"Sorry for intruding, Juvia. Did I catch you at a bad time?"

Juvia shook her hand and let her in. She sat on the edge of her bed and wore her stockings.

"What can Juvia do for you, Erza-san?"

"I'm sorry to bother you, Juvia but I need to talk to you about something important."

Juvia looked at the Requip mage and led her to the couch where they could talk face to face. She noticed the seriousness in Erza's demeanor and wondered what could be up this early.

"All right, Erza-san. What is it?"

Erza paused for a moment, trying to decide the right words to say, knowing that the topic that she was about to bring up was a sensitive one for the Rain Woman but either way she wanted to cut to the chase.

"I'll go straight to the point, Juvia. Do you remember when we talked to you?"

Erza waited for her to nod before she continued.

"Remember when you told us that you have decided to give up on Gray?"

Juvia nodded again.

"I know this might make you uncomfortable but trust me, it's hard for me too. I would really appreciate it if you would tell me some things that I'd like to know. I don't mean to force you on this. I know this may not seem like me but I want to prevent any more misunderstandings. I don't like seeing family hurt, my friends too. You are all important to me and I want to help in any way that I can."

For a while neither said anything. Once again, Erza thought if she was making the right move but she was sincere in her cause for doing this and what she said was true. Before Erza could speak another word, Juvia, without warning, let out a laugh that sounded as if she was mocking her. Erza could only look at the Rain Woman as she laughed, holding her stomach and wet in the eyes.

"Ah," Juvia finally calmed down, "Juvia is sorry for bursting out like that and Juvia thinks that she knows where this is leading to but Erza-san, is that really it?"

"What do you mean?"

Juvia looked at her with empty eyes and it struck Erza how eerily calm she suddenly was.

"You want to protect Lucy-san, is that what you are trying to say? Everybody is always trying to protect Lucy-san. Juvia is really envious of her."

"No, Juvia. I did not mean it like that," Erza was starting to get nervous. She did not expect that it would turn out like this. "Maybe I am, maybe I'm not but… Look, Juvia, all I wanted to know-"

"Juvia will tell you, Erza-san. Juvia can see how much you are worried for Lucy-san and how much you care for her but you see, don't you think that you should be more worried about Gray-sama instead?"

"Gray? Why?"

"You see, Erza-san, Juvia ran into Gray-sama and he was hurting really bad. He was hurt because of Lucy-san and nobody knows except Juvia but Juvia can't do anything about it. Not anymore."

"I don't understand…"

"Exactly. Nobody understand, not even Juvia. Juvia knows that you are worried about them but it's got nothing to do with you. What Juvia is trying to say is that even if it concerns you, you should leave it to them. We can't do anything about it anymore. Gray-sama is hurting because of his feelings for Lucy-san and I'm not so sure about Lucy-san but I think she feels the same way for him but what Juvia doesn't get is why Lucy-san married Laxus-san. It's up to them now, Erza-san. What are you so afraid of?"

It never occurred to her that Juvia would react like this and now that she finally found what she had been looking for, now what? What was she supposed to do? Should she keep Lucy away from Gray forever? Of course, that would be impossible but it was not the pressing matter. Both of them were important to her, equally, and after knowing that it was no only Lucy who was suffering, Erza finally felt the weight of Juvia's words. She really was unfair.

"What was I thinking?" Titania shook her head somberly.

* * *

><p>He felt like shit.<p>

When Gray opened his eyes, he had no idea what time or what day of the month it was. He had been drinking like Cana and everything felt so far away from him- his thoughts, his dreams, his nightmares, Fairy Tail… everything.

He felt like he had spent his days thinking all the time but when he tried to recall what he had been thinking about, nothing comes to mind. It was as if he had spent his days floating in the outer space but he was not seeing anything, not hearing anything, not feeling anything except the pain in his chest. Was dying a better option?

What he found off was that he could not cry. It's like the tears inside him were frozen like his ice. Gray sat up on his bed and groaned. His body felt sore and heavy and he wondered if it was because of the lifestyle that he had been keeping lately. Not bothering to wear a shirt, he went to the kitchen to drink a glass of water to ease his parched throat. He stood up by the sink and parted the curtains on the window to look at the outside world.

Another day. Another lie.

Anothey day to make himself believe in the lie that he had created inside his head and it was tiring. Maybe it was time for him to get up, punch Natsu towards Edolas, take on a mission or something. He had spent his days alone and he felt like he was going crazy. Just then, he heard a rapping on his door. Gray went downstairs, passed by the mess inside the living room and opened the door to see a shock of scarlet.

"E-Erza?"

"Can I have a moment?"

Gray moved to the side to let her in, closing the door after her. He parted the curtains on the living room, finally allowing some sunlight to come in. From the corners of his eyes, he saw Erza, tight lipped, as she shivered slightly on the couch.

"So, what's up?"

Erza looked at him as if she was gauging him. Juvia had been right. He smells like Cana now.

"Are you sober?"

Gray laughed dryly at her question, his eyes half-dull and half-amused. "What does that even mean?"

"I'm being serious here, Gray."

"As I was," he said plainly. "What is it? Are we going out on a mission? Perfect timing then. I was just getting prepared to go to the guild."

He remained standing as he shifted his weight on his left foot. Erza could tell that he was still not himself and let out a sigh. Her nerves were still loose after seeing Juvia and now she had to handle someone who was emotionally wrecked.

"Can you sit down, please?"

The Ice-Make mage looked at her as if he was trying to process what she said. Erza had no idea what he was thinking and repeated her words once again. This time, he heard her loud and clear.

"I've been told that you've been drowning yourself in alcohol lately."

Gray snorted, wrinkling his nose. "No shit."

The scarlet-haired mage prayed for patience inside her head, trying so hard not to glare at him.

"I understand that you're not having the best of times but I think it's time for you to stop drinking and get back on track. I know it's easier said than done but you should accept what happened and move on."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Erza looked sharply at him. "You know exactly what I'm talking about, Gray. Drinking yourself to death won't solve anything. I know you're hurt about Lucy but trust me, this is not easy for her too."

"Not easy for her? For all I know she could be dancing around in her wedded bliss." he scoffed. "You talk like you know everything."

"No," she shook her head, " and I don't know everything but I know well enough to tell you this. It might take a while for you but you're not alone in this. So get up and stop moping here. Lucy wants us to go on a mission."

"You're making it sound as if I'm a sore loser, Erza but I think you shouldn't worry too much about me."

"Have you looked at yourself in the mirror, Gray?"

"I…" there was hesitation in his voice. "I don't think I'm ready to see her yet. She probably doesn't even know anything."

"If not now then when? You can't run away from this… from her. Sooner or later you know that you won't be able to dodge this anymore so you might as well get it done and over with and yes, you're right. Lucy doesn't know anything."

"Is that so?"

Titania shrugged her shoulders, in dilemma whether or not to be blunt but she knew that Gray might take it badly and all her efforts might go to waste. It was not in her nature of be dictatorial, especially when it comes to the feelings of those who are precious to her but this was the least that she could do now.

"That leads me to this. I meant what I said that you should move on. It may not be easy at first but in due time, I know you can. You're a strong man, Gray. Childish at times, yes, but you're the one who can think calmly in bad situations. I'm not sure if I should be asking you this but I think that you should at least be happy for Lucy."

Gray ran his fingers through his hair and took a deep breath. Erza could tell that he was having a difficult time and hoped that things would get better quickly. The only person in their team who had no idea of the internal turmoil going on between the most of them was Natsu, given how dense he is but Erza finally understood what people meant when they said that ignorance is bliss.

"You're asking too much from me, Erza," Gray said. "I don't think I can be happy for her nor even support her but you said that she had no idea and I'm sure she doesn't even have a clue so it's fine. I'll keep my mouth shut. I think it's better if I act like nothing ever happened although I'm still quite surprised how you happen to know all of this."

"I have my ways," she said and smiled. "Thank you, Gray."

* * *

><p>All the paper works was making him go soft, all thanks to his grandfather who was currently supervising him. After passing his finished work earlier this morning, Makarov yet again presented him with another high pile of more papers and what annoyed Laxus was that the files were long overdue and the council had issued several warnings about the reports that Fairy Tail had failed to submit long ago. Jus what the hell had the old man been doing all along?<p>

Laxus looked up and saw that his grandfather was dozing off for the third time now. Could it be because he's getting old or maybe it's purely because he was just lazy? The dragon slayer took a piece of scratch paper from the desk, crumpled it, and thre it at the old man who only snored in return.

"Dammit."

He stood up and left the office. From the second floor, he immediately saw his wife at the hall, chatting away with Levy while tying up Wendy's hair in twin tails and could not help but imagine a blond haired little girl instead. He groaned at his own thoughts, thinking when had he started getting all this paternal ideas from. He walked down the stairs to get a drink from Mira. The Thunder God Tribe was still currently away on a mission and it looked like his grandfather won't be letting go of him soon.

"There! All done!" Lucy said.

Wendy stood up and faced Lucy, bowing in thanks. Charle crossed her paws in front of her chest and nodded.

"Don't you think it's time for you to cut your hair a few inches or so, Wendy?"

Levy and Lucy looked at the sweet girl and nodded.

"She's right, Wendy. Maybe you can ask Mira or Lisanna to cut it for you."

"You think so?" The Sky Dragon Slayer took a bunch of her hair and studied the ends.

"I know what's best for you, Wendy." Charle humph-ed and Lucy laughed as she stood up.

"Well, I should go now," Lucy said. "I don't think Erza's coming back any time sooner and Natsu's fighting again." She glanced at this best friend who was currently involved in a fight.

"Where are you going, Blondie?" A voice behind her made her jump. Lucy turned and saw him with a glass of juice.

"Oh, hi Laxus," she said with a smile. Levy observed their interaction while Wendy, on the other hand, backed away slightly, intimidated by the older man's presence. "I'm going to the market to buy groceries."

Laxus suddenly reached out from his back pocket and took out some jewels, handed it to Lucy who instantly shook her head.

"No, it's fine."

"Take it, Blondie," Laxus insisted.

"I told you, it's fine. I can't just leech off you and I figured that we should at least divide the expenses," Lucy blushed. "I mean, we're married after all."

She was surprised at his actions, completely not expecting him to be quite the responsible man. She was flattered but she wanted to be fair. It was the least that she could do.

Laxus knew how stubborn she can be and nodded his head, keeping back his money. He was actually glad that Lucy was already thinking like a wife should when it comes to their marital arrangement.

"All right, then," he said. "I should go. I still have some work left upstairs. See you later Blondie." He winked at her and turned on his heels, leaving her blushing like mad. He only winked at her yet she felt so giddy in her tummy. Beside her, Levy snickered and Lucy could almost swear that the Solid Script mage will tease her about it next. What Lucy didn't know was that Mira overheard everything as she approached them.

"My, my," Mira smiled sweetly at Lucy, "Now that's something I would like to see everyday."

Lucy only sweat-dropped while Levy giggled, hoping that one day the same thing would happen to her.

"Stop it, you guys. Anyways, I'm leaving."

Lucy left the guild as the girls waved their hands at her, bidding her to take care. She had been feeling lighter lately and wondered how easy things become when you put your mind and heart to it. She headed straight to the market, thinking of what to buy and what to cook later for dinner. Laxus was a dragon slayer and Lucy, having gotten used to Gajeel and Natsu's appetite, knew how to exactly proportion the meals that she would sometimes prepare for them. She remembered the times when they would give her money a run, especially Natsu who constantly raids her kitchen empty.

She missed the times when she would wake up in the morning, finding him sleeping next to her. She missed Erza and the rest, hanging around in her living room and ending up staying for the night. She sighed deeply, knowing that it might be next to impossible now that she's living with Laxus. Without warning, Loke appeared beside her with a wink.

"How are you faring, My Love?"

Instead of calling him off, Lucy allowed him to stay. "I'm fine, Loke."

"Is Laxus treating you well?" The lion spirit asked.

"Surprisingly, he is," She answered.

They turned on the right, almost close to the bustling market.

"That's good to hear, Princess. If he wasn't then I'd sever his head although I still can't believe that it would be him."

"Me too, Loke. Me too but it doesn't matter now. I'm trying to pick up my mess."

"But are you happy?"

Lucy stopped on her tracks and asked herself the same question. Is she really happy or she's only been going with the flow. She had been too preoccupied in trying to think of ways to set things right but lately she never had the time to think about herself at all. Lucy knew that she can no longer be selfish and she knew that she could no longer afford to go through depression once again.

"Who knows?" She said. "I don't think that matters anymore but don't worry too much, Loke. I'm fine for now."

"All right then, Princess," he grinned. "But keep in mind that we're here for you. Aquarius was worried but I doubt she'll tell you that."

Lucy laughed, remembering the time when Aquarius popped out, telling her get a grip on herself.

"I know and thanks. Now, come on. Let's get some shopping done."

After two hours of going here and there, Lucy finally finished with the groceries and headed home together with Plue since Loke went back to the Spirit World. She fixed the things that she bought and did the laundry before heading back to the guild.

* * *

><p>Gray fidgeted in his seat, unconsciously stripping away his shirt, leaving the poor piece of clothing on the floor. He came in with Erza who waited for him while he took a shower. When he looked at his own reflection in the mirror for the first time in days, he saw a pale face, almost unrecognizable and asked himself how Cana had managed to keep herself looking just fine even if her diet consisted only of booze.<p>

"Oh look, the Ice Princess finally graced us with her presence." Natsu smirked at him.

"Get lost, Fire Bitch." A tick appeared on Gray's forehead, standing up to face him.

"What did you call me?" Natsu inched closer to him.

"Fire Bitch." Gray moved dangerously close to him, the side of their head touching together.

"Are you two fighting?" Erza glared hard at them.

"No, ma'am!" The two of them chorused, completely forgetting the fact that Erza was there. Gray was aching to fight Natsu since it had been a while and he could use a good punching bag at the moment.

"Good. Now sit, I want to eat my cake in peace."

"Aye!" Natsu and Gray sat side by side across Erza

The guild door opened, revealing a golden hair that glimmered from the sun's rays. Sensing his best friend, Natsu called out to her and waved his hand to get her attention. Lucy approached them and felt her heart thump at seeing him once again. As she got closer, Lucy noticed that he was paler than before and there were bags under his eyes.

"Lucy, we've been waiting for you." Erza said, moving to the side to give her space.

"Sorry, Erza. I had some shopping to do."

"Hey, Lucy." Gray greeted her with a small smile that made her feel nervous. It's been a while since she last heard his voice. She wondered when did she get so jumpy being around him. Was it after she boldly asked him to sleep with when she was drunk? All she knew was that her skittishness only worsened when she came back from her trip at Akane.

"H-hi, Gray," she said, looking at him but blurring her eyes. "It's been a long while."

"Yeah, Gray. Where have you been anyways?" Natsu said as Happy settled himself on Lucy's lap, greedily munching on a fish.

"Somewhere out there." He said with a bored tone.

Erza cleared her throat to get their attention as she placed the mission flyer on the table. Lucy saw the reward money and her eyes budged out from their sockets. Their mission was to take down a dark guild that had been terrorizing and taking over Pareas, a small town located near where Cait Shelter used to be.

If she was still living in her own apartment, for sure she would feel way beyond happy but knowing how destructive her team could be at times, she did not let her hopes up.

But wait, if they would divide the reward money among them, minus an estimated percent of deduction, she would still be left with more than enough for groceries. She could buy new books or clothes.

"Lucy, are you listening?" Erza said, her strict-mode on.

"Ah. Sorry, yeah. I was just thinking about the reward money."

"So, as I was saying, we'll meet tomorrow at 8 o'clock at the train station. We don't know the details yet but we'll come up with a plan after we meet up with the town mayor. The trip might take long, probably five days or even longer depending on how things will turn out. Any more questions?"

"Nope, but can Wendy come?"

Erza raised an eyebrow at Natsu. "What for?"

He suddenly turned pale and green at the thought of riding a train. "Uh, you know. I need her, Erza."

"You're such a pussy, Natsu." Gray teased him.

"Shut up!"

"Aren't you ashame-"

"Enough!" Erza slammed her hand on the table, making Natsu and Gray sweat while Happy only looked at them like he knew better. "You can ask Wendy if she wants to come with us but if she's busy, leave her be. Do you understand?"

Erza thought that it would be advantageous to bring Wendy since she's familiar with the place.

Natsu grinned. "Yes, ma'am." He quickly left and looked for the Sky Dragon Slayer with Happy flying behind him.

"By the way, Lucy," Erza turned to her. "Shouldn't you ask permission from Laxus first?"

"What for?"

"Simple," Titania said. "He's your husband. If anything happens to you during the mission we're the one who's going to be responsible for you. You should discuss this with Laxus first."

"I know you mean well, Erza," Lucy reasoned, "but I'm sure nothing bad is going to happen."

"No, Lucy. I insist you ask him first if he will allow you or not. Every single time we go out on a mission we risk our lives. I'm sure you're aware of that."

"My god. Can't I decide for this? I don't think he's going to mind anyway."

Erza and Lucy started to argue until Erza left without changing her mind. Lucy knew that she was being unreasonable but she couldn't see Erza eye to eye in this. She suddenly felt that she was being stripped away with the freedom that she had when it comes to her life.

"She's right, you know." Gray said, looking deeply into her eyes as Lucy frowned.

"I know," she sighed, "but I just don't get it. Erza said it's only for formality but I don't like it."

"All you have to do is ask him and I can see no harm in that. Your _husband _might worry." He spat out the words bitterly, keeping in mind of his own position.

"Worry?" Lucy scoffed. "Yeah right. As if he will. For all I know he's only trying to keep up with this farce. I don't think he would even care if something happens to me."

That caught Gray's attention. "What do you mean?"

"Nothing, really." Lucy bit her lip and asked herself why she was making a big deal out of this. Gray was right.

Meanwhile, upstairs, Laxus left the office. He was finally done with today's work and he was itching to go home to rest. Going down the stairs, he caught Lucy's scent and wondered if she was done with the groceries. He scanned the guild and saw her talking to Gray. His clenched his teeth, glaring daggers at the Ice-Make mage who was, by the way, half naked.

He was not pleased with what he was seeing and what's more was that he couldn't hear what they were talking about, not with the noise around. It must have something do with being a dragon slayer or the fact that he knew Lucy was in love with Gray but he didn't like her talking to him. He quickly went to where she was and a pair of cold eyes met his.

"Lucy!" His tone was harsh but he was was looking at Gray.

Lucy whipped her head to the direction of the voice and found his towering figure behind her.

"What's up?"

He moved to her side and took her by the wrist, dragging her away. "We're going home."

"Wait, hey!" Lucy tried to pry her wrist away from his grasp but Laxus was stronger than her. He suddenly lifted her up like a sack and within a spilt-second they disappeared with a crackle.

"Tch." Gray was pissed. He was still talking to Lucy and it was rude of Laxus to interrupt them and just disappear like that. What's more was that he treated Lucy roughly but he was bothered at her words. What did she mean when she told him that he won't care if she went out on a mission or not? The feeling that there's something fishy about the whole thing came back to him. What the hell was going on?

Mira came over to him, smiling. She handed out a glass of water to Gray.

"Oh my. Isn't he a little too possessive of her?"

"If I were him, I'd be too." He finished the water and stood up. "I'm going home."

* * *

><p>"What the hell was that for?!" She was fuming when they arrived inside the living room. Laxus only shrugged his shoulders.<p>

"Nothing, really," He said. "I just thought we could go home together."

"Well you should have asked me nicely, you know." Lucy spat out but Laxus didn't say anything. Instead, he took off his shirt and Lucy found herself gaping at the sight of his muscles. Noticing her silence, he turned to her and smirked.

"Like what you see?"

Blushing, Lucy glared at him and stormed off to the kitchen. How could she get so flustered at a time like this? But she did like what she just saw and would not honestly mind to see it over and over again. Sure, they were married and there is no doubt about it but what 'are' they really? Friends? More than friends but at the same time less than that? Lucy doesn't know how to find the precise and right term to determine the kind of relationship that they have and how could Erza possibly think that love would blossom between the two of them?

Lucy sighed and looked at the clock. She was just in time to make dinner. A little after 7 o'clock, the two of them sat across each other on the dinning table in silence. Lucy thought if it was the right time to ask permission from him about going with her team on a mission tomorrow. Somehow she felt nervous and Laxus, perceptive as always, noticed and asked her.

"If you've got something to tell me, Blondie, just spit it out."

Lucy poured herself a glass of water and looked at him, biting her lower lip.

"Okay, you got me there," she said. "Erza told me to ask you if you would allow me to go out on a mission with my team tomorrow."

Laxus raised an eyebrow and suddenly understood. The only married couple that were both Fairy Tail mages was Alzack and Bisca but it was fine since they were a team. He and Lucy on the other hand were from two separate teams and he kind of had an idea where Erza was coming from but even if Lucy did not ask permission from him, he won't mind but with what happened earlier, he don't think he coul.

"You're staying and if anyone's coming with you on a mission, that will be me."

Lucy looked at him, aghast. "They are my team mates! Are you telling me that you get to decide in this? You've got to be kidding me!"

"You can pick out a mission tomorrow. End of discussion."

Laxus stood up without finishing his meal and stormed off to his room. He hated doing this to her, just when things were starting to get better for the both of them. There was no way of knowing what could possibly happen to her and it was better to take a weed out of its root than to just cut the grass above the surface.

**TBC**

* * *

><p>This is a filler chapter and I would like to apologize in advance if this was a little bit boring.<p>

Also, I might get really busy next week with exams and schoolwork but I'll try and update before the holiday season starts since I'm leaving for vacation.

I'd also like to say thanks to those who reviewed, liked, and hit the favorite button for this story.

I want to make this story better for you guys so if you have any suggestions or comments on how I can make this better, please do leave me a message. I'd be glad to hear from you.

Thanks again!

Until then!~


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